THE  GOSPl 


OUTLINE  STUDIES  OFPROTESlAiSi  Vv'ORK 

IN    THE 
LATIN  COUNTRIES  of EUROPEandAMEMCA! 


FI?.ANCIS     E'.    CLAIt,T:L 
AND 

HAR-JitlET     A.  CI/AR,K 


/O  .^  3,  o9 


'A^  PRINCETON,  N.  J.  ^ 


Purchased  by  the  Hamill   Missionary  Fund. 


BV  2750  .C6 

Clark,  Francis  E.  1851-192 

The  gospel  in  Latin  lands 


THE   GOSPEL   IN   LATIN   LANDS 


•Tl 


^^y^ 


THE  MACMILLAN  COMPANY 

NEW  YORK   •    BOSTON   •    CHICAGO 
ATLANTA  •    SAN   FRANCISCO 

MACMILLAN   &   CO.,  Limited 

LONDON   •    BOMBAY   •    CALCUTTA 
MELBOURNE 

THE  MACMILLAN  CO.  OF  CANADA,  Ltd. 

TORONTO 


SPAIN 

AND 

PORTUGAL 


CENTR.\L 
EUROPE 


THE  Gospel  in  latin  lands 


OUTLINE  STUDIES  OF  PEOTESTANT  WORK 
IN  THE  LATIN  COUNTRIES  OF  EUROPE 


AND  AMERICA         X0^^  ^^  ^^%^ 


OCT  13  1909 


^^  ^"^^^g/CAL  %li^ 


FRANCIS  E.  CLARK,  D.D.,  LL.D. 

AND 

HARRIET   A.    CLARK 


THE   MACMILLAN    COMPANY 

1909 

All  rights  reserved 


Copyright,  1909, 

bt  the  macmillan  company. 


Set  up  and  electrotyped.     Published  May,  igog. 
PUBLISHEDJt)R   THE   CENTRAL   COMMITTEE 

ON  the'^nited  study  of  missions. 


NorfaooU  Presa 

J.  S.  Cushingr  Co.  —  Berwick  &  Smith  C. 

Norwood,  Mass.,  U.S.A. 


PREFACE 

The  authors  of  this  volume  would  call  the 
attention  of  their  readers  at  the  outset  to  the 
peculiar  character  of  the  task  committed  to 
them  when  they  were  commissioned  to  write 
this  volume. 

Unlike  others  in  this  series  of  mission  study 
text-books,  this  volume  cannot  treat  of  pictur- 
esque mission  work  in  one  homogeneous  coun- 
try, but  must  deal  with  the  efforts  to  plant  the 
gospel  of  the  Reformation  in  no  less  than 
twenty-four  distinct  nations  separated  from 
each  other  not  only  by  seas  and  continents,  but 
b}^  the  wider  gulfs  of  different  languages,  cus- 
toms, and  traditions. 

These  nations  are  Italy,  France,  Spain, 
Austria,  Portugal,  Mexico,  Cuba  and  the  West 
Indies,  Guatemala,  Nicaragua,  Salvador,  Hon- 
duras, Costa  Rica,  Panama,  Colombia,  Ecuador, 
Peru,  Bolivia,  Chile,  Argentina,  Uruguay,  Para- 
guay, Brazil,  Venezuela,  and  Guiana. 

In  these  countries  scores  of  American,  Brit- 
ish, and  Continental  Societies  are  laboring, 
though  necessarily  the  chief  attention  is  herein 
given  to  the  American  mission  boards.  More- 
over, some  of  the  countries  which  come  within 


vi  PREFACE 

the  purview  of  this  book  are  such  large  and 
important  countries  as  the  great  Latin  nations 
of  Europe,  with  such  a  wealth  of  history  and 
with  present  conditions  so  interesting,  that  even 
a  single  phase  of  their  story  would  more  than 
fill  the  pages  of  a  book  of  this  size. 

It  is  also  true  that  the  story  of  mission  work 
in  these  lands  is  lacking  in  many  of  the  thrill- 
ing and  picturesque  details  which  make  the 
story  of  missions  in  heathen  and  oriental  lands 
so  fascinating.  In  papal  lands  the  work  of  the 
missionary  is  the  more  prosaic,  but  none  the 
less  necessary,  task  of  enlightening  those  who 
are  already  half  instructed  in  the  truths  of  the 
Gospel,  dispelling  superstitions  and  bigotry, 
and  building  up  by  patient  instruction  stalwart 
and  steadfast  Christian  character. 

The  object  which  the  authors  have  kept 
steadily  in  mind  is  to  give  not  only,  as  far  as 
possible,  a  summary  of  the  present  Protestant 
activities  in  these  countries,  but  to  provide  also 
a  background  of  their  religious  history  and  con- 
dition under  papal  rule,  a  background  which 
seems  necessary  to  any  adequate  understanding 
of  their  present  needs.  This  review  of  the 
past  will  of  itself  answer  the  question  which  no 
doubt  arises  in  many  minds,  "  Why  send  mis- 
sionaries at  all  to  nominally  Christian  lands  ?  " 

Yet  while  the  ignorance  and  superstition 
which  make  it  imperative  for  Protestants  to 
send  laborers  to  these  needy  fields  are  not  ig- 


PREFACE  Vll 

nored,  we  have  striven  not  to  exaggerate  the 
evils  of  Catholicism,  a  fault  greatly  to  be  de- 
plored in  any  Protestant  writer  or  speaker,  and 
we  would  not  fail  to  acknowledge  the  great 
debt  which,  in  many  departments,  the  world 
owes  to  tliis  ancient  Church.  We  must  remem- 
ber, too,  that  many  of  the  saintliest  men  and 
women  of  the  past  have  found  refuge  in  her 
bosom. 

The  comparatively  narrow  limits  of  this  book 
have  prevented  any  extended  reference  to  the 
rich  treasures  of  religious  art  and  literature  of 
which  the  Latin  countries  are  the  birthplace  and 
custodians,  though  in  the  bibliography  attached 
the  reader  who  desires  to  pursue  these  subjects 
further  will  find  ample  scope  for  larger  research. 

We  would  especially  call  the  attention  of  our 
readers  to  the  Christian  work  in  some  of  these 
lands,  which  is,  so  to  speak,  indigenous  to  the 
soil,  like  the  Waldensian  Church  of  Italy,  the 
Reformed  Church  of  France,  and  to  some  extent 
the  McAll  Mission,  which  has  no  special  denomi- 
national association.  To  emphasize  sectarian 
peculiarities  in  papal  lands  should  be  the  last 
desire  of  missionaries  on  the  field  or  Christians 
at  home,  but  our  object  in  these  lands  should 
be  to  unite  with  all  true  disciples  in  proclaim- 
ing the  simple  gospel  of  redeeming  love.  This 
we  think  is  the  growing  feeling  of  the  mis- 
sionaries on  the  field  and  of  all  who  have 
studied  the  situation. 


viil  PREFACE 

Such  a  book  as  this  must  necessurily  be  in 
part  a  selection  from,  and  compilation  of,  wliat 
others  have  written,  and  special  acknowledg- 
ments are  made  to  many  writers  quoted  in  the 
text  and  mentioned  in  the  bibliography.  In 
addition  to  these  standard  works,  the  authors 
have  consulted  many  scores  of  missionary  his- 
tories, reports,  and  magazines  of  the  different 
denominations,  and  the  statistics  given  are,  in 
every  case,  the  latest  that  could  be  obtained  at 
this  writing,  though,  of  course,  with  the  con- 
stant advance  in  many  lands,  even  the  lapse  of 
a  few  months  renders  some  figures  obsolete. 
It  is  pleasant  to  add  that  wherein  any  inaccu- 
racy in  figures  may  be  observed,  those  given 
have  "the  power  of  an  understatement,"  It 
must  also  be  remembered  that  these  chapters 
profess  to  be  only  outline  studies  of  Protestant 
work  in  these  many  lands.  For  more  specific 
information  our  readers  are  referred  to  the 
abundant  literature  provided  by  their  own  de- 
nominational boards. 

Though  the  authors  cannot  claim  a  long 
residence  in  the  lands  of  which  they  write,  and 
so  cannot  write  from  extended  personal  knowl- 
edge of  their  conditions,  yet  one  or  both  of 
them  have  recently  visited  seventeen  of  the 
twenty-four  countries  described,  and  those  not 
visited  have  been  the  small  republics  of  Central 
America  and  one  or  two  of  the  northern  coun- 
tries of  South  America.     The  journeys  to  these 


PREFACE  IX 

countries,  though  made  primarily  for  the  sake 
of  attending  Christian  Endeavor  conventions, 
have  always  had  a  missionary  purpose,  and 
every  facility  has  been  enjoyed  for  studying 
the  mission  work  at  first  hand. 

If  any  laborers  at  home  or  abroad  feel  that 
their  especial  fields  have  not  received  sufficient 
consideration,  they  will,  we  are  sure,  bear  in 
mind  the  necessary  limits  of  such  a  volume,  the 
vast  field  to  be  covered,  and  will  believe,  we 
trust,  that  every  mission  has  been  studied  sym- 
pathetically, and  with  an  earnest  desire  and 
prayer  to  set  forth  its  work  in  such  a  way  that 
readers  at  home  may  be  stimulated  to  give  and 
pray  that  the  good  news  of  a  simple  scriptural 
faith  may  be  spread  in  the  Latin  lands. 

We  would  also  call  attention  to  the  "  Travel- 
lers' Guide  to  Missions  "  in  the  Latin  countries 
of  Europe,  which  we  hope  will  enable  some 
travellers,  who  otherwise  would  not  visit  the 
mission  stations,  to  see  for  themselves  the  up- 
lifting work  that  is  being  accomplished. 

The  "  Topics  for  Further  Stucly  "  will  perhaps 
be  found  useful  for  women's  clubs  and  similar 
organizations,  and  the  suggestions  for  "  Neigh- 
borhood Reading  Circles  "  have  been  prepared 
for  little  groups  of  people,  young  or  old,  who 
may  find  in  the  books  recommended  some  sug- 
gestions for  their  entertainment  and  instruction, 
and  something  which  may  add  to  their  interest 
in  missionary  work  in  these  countries. 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Preface        ,         .         . V 

PART  I 

LATIX  E  US  OPE 
Outline  of  Italian  History  for  Reference        ...         1 
Table  I.    Important  Dates  in  Italian  History       .        .       18 

CHAPTER   I 

The  Gospel  ix  Italy 

I.  Rise  of  Christianity  in  Italy  .         .         .         .  19 

II.  The  Roman  Catholic  Church  in  Italy    .         .  25 

III.  The  Protestant  Church  in  Italy     ...  35 

IV.  The  Story  of  the  Waldenses ....  38 
V.  Protestant  Missions  in  Italy 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church ;  The 
Southern  Baptist  Convention ;  The 
Wesleyan  Methodist  Mission  ;   English 

Baptist  Missions 53 

VI.  Travellers'  Guide  to  Missions ;  Topics  for 
Further  Study  ;  Quotations ;  Bibliogra- 
phy, etc 61 

Table  II.    Important  Dates  in  French  History    .         .      69 

CHAPTER   II 

The  Gospel  in  France 

I.     The  Story  of  France 71 

II.     Tlie  Protestant  Church  in  France  .         .       93 

xi 


xii  CONTENTS 

PAGE 

III.  Other  Protestant  Work  in  France 

The  Reformed  Church  of  France  ;  The 
Lutheran  Church  of  France  ;  The  So- 
ci^t^Protestante  d'Evan<;elization  ;  The 
Religious  Tract  Society ;  The  Soci^t^ 
llvangelique  de  Geneve  ;  The  Baptist 
Missionary  Union  ;  The  AVesleyan 
Methodist  Church ;  The  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church 93 

IV.  Story  of  the  McAIl  Mission  ....       97 
V.     Travellers'    Guide   to   Missions   in   France ; 

Quotations;  Bibliography,  etc.      .         .     117 

Table  III.    Important  Dates  in  Spanish,  Portuguese, 

and  Austrian  History 124 

CHAPTER   III 
The  Gospel  in  Spain,  Austria,  Portugal 

I.     The  Go.spel  in  Spain 125 

1.  The  Story  of  Spain       .         .         .         .125 

2.  The  Catholic  Church  in  Spain      .         .     133 

3.  Protestant  Missions  in  Spain 

Wesleyan  Methodist  Church  ;  The 
Baptist  Missionary  Union  ;  The 
American  Board  (Congregational) ; 
The  Plymouth  Brethren  ;  The 
United  Free  Church  of  Scotland  142 
II.     The  Gospel  in  Austria 159 

1.  The  Story  of  Au.stria    ....     159 

2.  Protestant  Work  in  Austria 

United  Free  Church  of  Scotland ; 
Missions  to  the  Jews  ;  American 
Board  (Congregational);  Mission 
to  Catholics 161 

III.  The  Gospel  in  Portugal  .         .         .107 

IV.  Travellers'  Guide  to  Missions  in  Spain,  Aus- 

tria,    Portugal ;    Topics     for    Further 
Study ;  Bibliography,  etc.      .         .         .     169 


CONTENTS  Xlll 

PART   II 
LATIX  AMEBIC  A 

PAOB 

Table  IV.     Important  Dates  in  Mexican  History        .     177 

CHAPTER   IV 

The  Gospel  in  Mexico,  Central  America,  the 
West  Indies 

I.     The  Gospel  in  Mexico 179 

1.  The  Story  of  Mexico        .         .         .         .180 

2.  Protestant  Missions  in  Mexico 

The  Baptist  Missionary  Union  ;  The 
American  Board  Mission  ;  The  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  Church  ;  The  Presby- 
terian Chui-ch  ;  The  Church  Missionary 
Society  ;  The  Christian  Church  ;  The 
Society  of  Friends  ....  189 
II.     The  Gospel  in  Central  America         .         .         .     205 

1.  The  Story  of  Central  America         .         .     205 

2.  Protestant    Missions    in    the    Different 

States 209 

Guatemala ;     Honduras ;     Nicaragua ; 
Salvador ;  Costa  Eica       .         .         .     210 

III.  The  Gospel  in  the  West  Indies  .         ,         .214 

1.  The  Story  of  the  Islands  .         .         .214 

2.  Religious  Conditions  in  Jamaica,  The  Ba- 

hamas,  Barbadoes,    Windward    Is- 
lands, Leeward  Islands,  Trinidad    .     216 

3.  Missionary  Work  in  Hayti,  Cuba,  Porto 

Rico 216 

IV.  Missionary  Directory ;  Quotations,  etc.    .         .     220 

Table  V.    Important  Events  in  South  America    .         .     226 

CHAPTER   V 

The  Gospel  in  Western  South  Ajierica 

I.     The  Story  of  South   America  ;    General  His- 
tory ;  Religious  Conditions        .         .         .     227 


XIV  CONTENTS 

PAGE 

II.     The  West  Coast 243 

Missions   in   Panama,    Colombia,  Ecuador, 

Peru,  Bolivia,  Chile 245 

III.     Missionary  Directory  ;  Bibliography,  etc.         .  2G7 

CHAPTER  VI 

The  Gospel  in  Eastern  South  America 

I.     General  Conditions  on  the  East  Coast       .        .     271 
II.     Protestant  Missions  in  Venezuela,  The  Guianas, 

Brazil,  Uruguay,  Paraguay       .         .         .     274 
III.     Missionary    Directory ;     Topics    for    Further 

Study,  etc 308 

Index 313 


PART   I 

LATIN    EUROPE 


In  darkness  there  is  no  choice.  It  is  light  that  enables 
us  to  see  the  differences  between  things  ;  and  it  is  Christ 
that  gives  us  light.  —  J.  C.  Hare. 


IMPORTANT   DATES   IN   THE   HISTORY   OF 
ITALY 

753  B.C.     Founding  of  Rome. 

715-.509  B.C.     Tlie  Kingdom  of  Rome. 

509-27  B.C.     The  Roman  Republic. 

390  B.C.     Burning  of  Rome  by  the  Gauls. 

390-266  B.C.     Conquest  of  Italy. 

266-133  B.C.     Foreign  Conquests. 

133-27  B.C.     Civil  Wars. 

27  B.C.  to  476  A.D.     The  Roman  Empire. 

4  B.C.     The  Birth  of  Christ. 

476  A.D.     Visigoths  in  Italy  under  Odoacer. 

495.     Ostrogoths  in  Italy  under  Theodoric. 

553-774.     Lombard  Kings  and  Byzantine  Exarchs  rule 

Italy. 
774-814.     Italy  made  a  part  of  Charlemagne's  Empire. 
951.     Ofcto  the  Great  of  Saxony  conquers  Italy. 
1002-1300.     Age  of  the  City  Republics. 
1300-1500.     Age  of  the  Despots. 
1500-1600.     Invasion  of  Italy  by  different  nations. 
1792-1812.     Napoleon  in  Italy. 
1848-1860.     AYars  for  freedom  from  Austria. 
1870.     United   Italy.      End   of   temporal   power  of   the 

pope. 
1870-1909.     Italy  ruled  by  kings  of  the  House  of  Savoy. 
1900.     Victor  Emanuel  III,  King  of  Italy. 


LIST   OF   MAPS 

Spain,  rortuiial.  and  Central  Europe    .         .       Frontiifpiece 

r.vriM(i  PAOK 
Italy 1 

France  .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .71 

Spain  and  Portugal         .         .         .         .         .         .         .125 

Central  America    .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .175 

Soutli  America       ........     227 


THE   GOSPEL   IN   LATIN   LANDS 


iiiHuenced 
by  Rome. 


THE   STORY   OF   ITALY 

A  Condensed  Outline  of  Ttalian  History  for 

Heferefice 

"The  history  of  Europe,"  says  a  modern  ah  Europe 
writer,  "  is  almost  wholly  made  up,  first,  of  the 
steps  by  which  the  older  states  came  under  the 
power  of  Rome,  and,  secondly,  of  the  way  in 
which  the  modern  states  of  Europe  were  formed 
by  the  breaking  up  of  that  power."  It  is  fitting, 
then,  that  in  studying  Christian  missions  in 
Latin  Europe  we  should  begin  with  a  brief  out- 
line of  the  history  of  Italy,  that  country  which, 
through  all  the  centuries,  has  so  influenced  all 
other  Latin  countries. 

The  Coming  Together  of  the  Older  States  to  form 
the  Roman  Empire 

The  earliest  inhabitants  of  the  greater  j)art  Early 
of  Italy  were  of  the  Aryan  race,  somewhat  Jj'/itaiy'!"*^ 
closely  related  to  the  Greeks,  and  might  in 
general  be  called  Italians,  though  divided  into 
many  tribes.  Besides  these,  there  were  in  Etru- 
ria  an  ancient  people  called  Etruscans,  in  the 
northwest  the  Ligurians,  and  in  the  northeast 
the  Venetians.     The  rest  of  northern  Italy  was 

B  1 


2  THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN   LANDS 

h'vjlil  by  Celtic  tribes,  iiml  was  considered  a  part 
of  Gaul.  In  southern  Ital}'  were  other  Italian 
tribes  and  a  few  Greek  colonies. 

The  early  history  of  Rome  is  largely  legen- 
dary, but  there  is  little  doubt  that,  however 
it  was  founded,  there  was  a  little  city  called 
Roma  on  the  Palatine  Hill  near  the  Tiber  as 
early  as  the  year  753  B.C.,  the  date  commonly 
accepted  as  that  of  the  founding  of  Rome.  As 
the  years  went  on,  all  the  little  settlements  on 
the  neighboring  hills  were  walled  in  as  one 
city,  with  Rome  as  the  largest,  ruling  over  all 
Latium,  and  from  this  time  Rome  continued  to 
increase  in  power  aiid  influence,  first  by  con- 
quering many  peoples,  and  then  by  giving  laws 
-   .>j.  to  these  peoples.     From  753  to  509  B.C.  Kome 

<\^  was  a  kingdom,  constantly  growing  in  power, 

and  ruling  at  the  end  of  this  period  over  a  large 
part  of  Italy.  Then,  owing  to  the  tyranny  of 
the  kings,  the  monarchy  was  abolished  and  a 
republic  established. 
Tho  Roman  For  five  hundred  years  the  Roman  Republic 
SfrPo-^^*"'       endured,  and  most  of  these  years  were  years  of 

0V\)-2t   B.C.  '  "^  "^ 

warfare  and  conquest.  In  390  B.C.  the  Gauls 
from  beyond  the  Po  came  down  into  central 
Italy,  conquered  Rome,  and  burned  the  whole 
city  except  the  capitol.  Since  all  the  records 
were  destroyed  in  the  flames,  it  is  only  from 
this  date  that  authentic  history  really  begins. 
It  seemed  that  this  must  be  the  end  of  the  little 
city  on  the  Til.)er,  but  the  Romans  were  a  strong 


THE  STORY  OF  ITALY  3 

and  masterful  race,  and  were  not  easily  dis- 
couraged. Peace  was  made  with  the  Gauls, 
and  Rome  was  rebuilt  with  narrow,  crooked 
streets  and  small  dwelling-houses,  and  new 
wars  of  conquest  began. 

By  the  Latin  and  Samnite  wars  the  Romans 
gained  central  Italy,  and  after  a  short  but  fierce 
war  with  Pyrrhus  and  the  Greeks  they  acquired 
southern  Italy  also,  and  by  the  end  of  the  year 
266  B.C.  Rome  ruled  over  all  Italy.  Growing 
stronger  with  each  victory,  the  Romans  went  on  Foreign 
to  further  warfare,  with  foreign  nations  now,  conquests, 
until  in  the  course  of  the  years  all  the  lands 
bordering  on  the  Mediterranean  Sea  had  been 
conquered,  and  the  Roman  Empire  was  estab- 
lished in  the  year  27  B.C.  with  Augustus  Ccesar 
as  emperor. 

The  history  of  the  Roman  Empire  is  familiar 
to  us  all  and  need  not  be  rehearsed  here.  The 
long  list  of  emperors  from  27  B.C.  to  476  a.d. 
includes  good  emperors  and  bad  emperors,  wise 
emperors  and  foolish  emperors,  and  timid,  dis- 
solute, stupid,  and  cruel  emperors ;  and  one 
wonders  in  reading  their  story  how  the  empire 
held  together  as  long  as  it  did. 

Rome  had  now  advanced  step  by  step,  from   Rome  the 
the   little   city  on   the  Tiber  to  a  larger  city,   ^^^j^^  ^^® 
ruling  over  the  other  little  towns  ;    then  to  a 
kingdom  having  dominion  over  a  large  part  of 
Italy;  then  to  a  republic  fighting  with  lier  near- 
est relatives,  the  Latin  and  Italian  tribes,  first 


did  for 
the  world. 


4  TEE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 

for  self-defence,  then  for  conquest,  and  later, 
growing  still  stronger  and  lighting  with  her 
foreign  neighbors,  gaining  dominion  first  over 
all  Italy,  then  over  all  the  surrounding  countries 
and  all  the  then  civilized  world.  At  its  great- 
est, the  empire  included  all  Europe  within  the 
Rhine  and  the  Danube,  the  province  of  Dacia 
beyond  the  Danube,  and  most  of  the  island  of 
Britain.  In  Asia  it  ruled  all  the  land  west  of 
the  Euphrates,  and  in  Africa  all  the  land  north 
of  the  Great  Desert. 
What  Rome  The  Conquered  territories  were  all  made  into 
provinces  and  a  good  government  established. 
The  people  of  Gaul,  Spain,  the  northern  Alps, 
and  Illyria  all  spoke  now  some  form  of  the  Latin 
language,  and  had  adopted  the  manners  and 
customs  of  the  Romans,  and  would  before  long 
become  the  Latin  countries  of  Europe.  Rome 
had  thus  become  the  centre  of  all  Europe,  and  had 
influenced  the  world,  first  by  bringing  together 
many  nations  under  one  goveriiment,  then  by 
giving  them  wise  laws,  and  last  of  all  by  giving 
Christianity  to  the  world,  of  which  we  shall 
speak  later. 

ffoiv  the  Roman  Umpire  fell  to  Pieces  and 
Modern  Europe   icas  Established 

At  first  the  governing  power  of  the  empire 
was  in  the  hands  of  the  Roman  people.  Wlien 
the  Latins  and  Italians  were  conquered,  they 
had  no  part  in  political  affairs,  but  were  allowed 


THE  STORY  OF  ITALY 


to  be  self-governing  except  in  three  points : 
Rome  alone  might  declare  war,  receive  embassies, 
and  coin  money.  When  the  foreign  provinces 
were  added,  they  also  were  allowed  to  retain  their 
own  laws  and  religion,  but  were  governed  by 
officials  sent  from  Rome,  and  were  compelled  to 
pay  taxes. 

After  a  time  Roman  citizenship  was  given  to 
all  the  inhabitants  of  Italy,  and  later  to  all  the  free 
inhabitants  of  the  Roman  Empire,  thus  making 
little  distinction  between  Italy  and  other  parts 
of  the  empire,  and  diminishing  the  importance 
of  Rome.  When  Constantine  became  emperor 
in  323  A.D.,  he  made  Constantinople  his  capital, 
thus  weakening  still  further  the  prestige  of 
Rome.  After  the  death  of  Theodosius  in  395 
A.D.  the  kingdom  was  divided  between  his  two 
sons,  and  from  this  time  there  were  two  empires. 
The  Roman  or  Latin  Empire,  including  Italy, 
Gaul,  Spain,  etc.,  and  the  Eastern  or  Greek  Em- 
pire, with  its  centre  at  Constantinople. 

Already  the  Goths  and  other  German  tribes 
had  begun  to  make  settlements  in  Italy,  and 
when  the  empire  was  divided  the  Visigoths,  or 
Western  Goths,  rebelled  and  declared  their  chief, 
Alaric,  king. 

Britain  was  being  settled  by  the  Angles  and 
Saxons,  and  the  Romans  retired  from  that  coun- 
try early  in  the  fifth  century. 

Spain  was  wrested  from  the  Roman  Empire  by 
the  Vandals  and  other  tribes. 


The  power 
of  Rome 
weakened. 


Britain, 
Spain, 
France, 
and  Africa 
separated 
from  the 
Roman 
Empire. 


G 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 


Gaul  was  filled  with  Franks  and  Gotl)s  ;  the 
Vandals  conquered  North  Africa.  Then  Italy 
was  itself  overrun  by  liuiis,  Vandals,  and  Moors, 
until  so  little  power  was  left  to  Rome  that  the 
senate,  making  a  virtue  of  necessity,  declared 
one  emperor  to  be  enough,  and  the  government 
of  the  Western  Empire  was  handed  over  to  Zeno, 
the  Eastern  emperor,  in  476  a.d.  Thus  the 
Roman  Empire  had  fallen  to  pieces. 


Byzantine 
and  barba- 
rian  rulers 
iu  Italy. 


Itali/  in  the  Middle  Ages 

The  Eastern  Empire  still  continued  for  a 
thousand  years,  and  for  many  centuries  the 
Byzantine  emperors  claimed  to  rule  over  all 
the  Roman  dominions,  though  not  often  able 
to  enforce  their  claim.  Odoacer  the  Visigoth 
had  been  appointed  king  of  Italy  under  the 
Eastern  emperor  in  476,  but  he  really  gave 
little  heed  to  that  empire,  ruling  in  his  own  way 
as  a  barbarian  king.  In  489  the  Ostrogoths,  or 
East  Goths,  marched  over  the  Alps  into  northern 
Italy  and  conquered  Odoacer.  Theodoric,  their 
king,  was  in  many  respects  a  wise  man,  planning 
in  a  large  way  for  the  enlightenment  of  the 
country,  and  as  long  as  he  reigned  Italy  pros- 
pered. But  the  reign  of  the  Ostrogoths  was 
short,  for  in  558  they  too  were  driven  out  by  an 
army  sent  by  Justinian,  and  a  large  part  of  Italy 
was  made  a  Byzantine  ])rovince,  governed  by 
rulers  called  exarchs,  appointed   at  Constanti- 


THE  STORY   OF  ITALY  7 

nople.  There  were  in  all  seventeen  examhs, 
who  ruled  over  the  whole  or  a  part  of  Italy  during 
the  sixth,  seventh,  and  eighth  centuries,  most 
of  them  despotic  and  cruel  in  their  government, 
making  the  lives  of  the  Italians  most  miserable. 

In  the  latter  half  of  the  sixth  century  the 
Lombards  (named  for  their  long  bardi,  or  spears), 
a  fierce  heathen  nation  from  Hungary,  moved 
down  into  that  part  of  Italy  known  as  Lombardy. 
There  were  thirty-two  Lombard  kings  who  ruled 
in  northern  Italy  for  nearly  two  hundred  years, 
while  the  Byzantine  exarchs  were  still  ruling  in 
southern  Italy.  It  was  during  these  centuries 
that  the  Italians  w^ere  treated  with  such  cruelty 
that  many  Roman  families  sought  refuge  on  the 
marshy  islands  of  the  lagoons  near  the  head  of 
the  Adriatic,  and  founded  the  city  of  Venice. 

Poor  Italy  seems  to  have  been  during  all 
these  centuries  the  prey  of  the  nations,  being 
ruled  first  by  the  Romans,  then  by  the  Visigoths, 
the  Ostrogoths,  the  Lombards,  and  the  Byzan- 
tine exarchs,  and  now  ajDpeared  Charlemagne, 
the  son  of  Pepin  of  France,  the  greatest  man 
of  the  Middle  Ages,  with  the  determination 
to  reestablish  the  great  Roman  Empire.  He  Charie 
crossed  the  Alps  and  defeated  the  Lombards,  thus 
acquiring  northern  Italy,  and  in  the  year  800 
he  was  crowned  Emperor  of  the  West  at  St. 
Peter's  in  Rome  by  Pope  Leo  III.  As  a  re- 
ward for  this  honor,  Charlemagne  gave  to  the 
Church  Spoleto,  and  this  was  the  beginning  of 


nia^ne  in 
Italy. 


8 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  LATIN  LANDS 


Guelphs 

and 

Ghibellines. 


The 

Lombard 

League. 


the  Papal  States.  Charlemagne,  who  had  in- 
herited from  Pepin  the  kingdom  of  Gaul,  now 
ruled  over  a  dominion  as  large  as  the  ancient 
Roman  Empire. 

After  the  death  of  Charlemagne,  his  empire 
was  divided  among  his  three  grandsons,  and  out 
of  this  division  grew  the  three  modern  countries, 
Italy,  France,  and  Germany.  Lothair  received 
Italy,  but  after  his  death  Otto  the  Great  of 
Germany  acquired  the  control  of  all  northern 
Italy,  and  in  962  was  consecrated  emperor  by  the 
pope,  and  the  new  western  empire  thus  formed 
was  called  "  The  Holy  Roman  Empire  of  the 
German  Nation."  This  dynasty  lasted  until  the 
year  1024. 

And  now  began  the  long  quarrel  between  the 
Guelphs  and  the  Ghibellines,  which  was  largely 
a  quarrel  between  the  popes  and  the  emperors, 
though  all  Italy  became  involved  in  it.  The 
Ghibellines  were  on  the  side  of  the  emperors, 
and  the  Guelphs,  with  whom  the  popes  usually 
sided,  took  the  part  of  the  people  against  the 
German  Empire. 

For  nearly  two  hundred  years  the  most  of 
Italy  had  been  under  German  rule,  but  when 
Frederick  Barbarossa  (Frederick  of  the  Red 
Beard)  became  emperor,  twenty-three  Italian 
cities  rebelled  and  formed  the  League  of  Lom- 
bardy,  claiming  the  right  of  self-government. 
Barbarossa  formed  a  league  of  Ghibelline  cities 
against   them,  and  for  nine  years  they  waged 


TlIE  STOttr  OF  ITALY  9 

war  until  the  Lombard  League  triumphed,  and  in 
1183,  by  the  Peace  of  Constance,  the  emperor 
was  compelled  to  allow  self-government  to  these 
city  republics.  From  this  time  the  different 
cities  arose  to  great  power  and  influence.  Ven- 
ice, Florence,  Genoa,  Pisa,  and  other  cities  each 
had  their  brief  period  of  authority  and  control, 
and  all  had  their  heroes,  their  authors,  their 
artists,  or  their  saints,  and  all  influenced  the 
history  of  Italy. 

Genoa,  Venice,  and  Pisa  were  greatly  en-  Pisa, 
riched  during  the  crusades  which  occurred  in  the 
eleventh  and  twelfth  centuries  by  the  increase 
of  their  commerce  with  the  East,  and  by  fur- 
nishing ships  and  supplies  to  the  crusaders.  It 
was  at  this  time  that  the  sacred  earth  was 
brought  from  Jerusalem  to  Pisa  for  the  Campo 
Santo,  and  that  the  three  famous  buildings 
were  built. 

Genoa  quarrelled  with  Pisa  many  years  for  the 
supremacy,  and  finally  triumphed.  At  one  time 
all  the  Ghibelline  cities  were  arrayed  against 
Pisa,  and  assisted  in  her  final  destruction,  from 
which  she  has  never  fully  recovered. 

Venice  had  now  grown  to  be  a  great  and  Venice 
powerful  city,  at  one  time  holding  dominion 
over  nearly  half  of  the  old  Roman  Empire. 
During  the  fourth  crusade  the  Venetian  fleet 
captured  Constantinople,  and  held  it  for  nearly 
fifty  years.  It  was  at  this  time  that  the  bronze 
horses  which  now  adorn  the   cathedral  of  St. 


10  THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 

Mark  were  brought  to  Venice.  Many  of  the 
famous  old  palaces  on  the  Grand  Canal  were 
built  during  this  era. 

Florence.  Florence  was  famous  even  then  for  her  silks, 

her  jewelry,  and  her  bankers.  It  was  during 
these  centuries,  too,  that  the  Medici  family  at- 
tained to  such  power  and  influence,  and  Lorenzo 
the  Magnificent  did  much  for  Florence  by  his 
patronage  of  art  and  literature.  This  was  the 
age  of  Dante  and  Petrarch  and  Boccaccio,  of 
Cimabue  and  Giotto,  of  St.  Francis  and  Sa- 
vonarola, and  many  other  famous  men,  who  in 
their  different  ways  proved  that  the  world 
was  awakening  from  the  sleep  of  the  Middle 
Ages,  and  that  Italy  was  taking  her  share  in  the 
awakening. 

Christopher  In  the  early  part  of  the  fifteenth  century 
there  lived  in  Genoa  a  young  couple  named 
Dominico  and  Susanna  Colombo,  to  whom  was 
born  in  the  year  1435  a  little  son  whom  they 
named  Cristoforo.  For  a  few  years  this  little 
Italian  lad  walked  the  streets  of  Genoa,  play- 
ing about  the  wharves,  talking  with  the  foreign 
sailors,  studying  at  the  University  of  Padua, 
and  then  at  the  age  of  fourteen  started  on  his 
first  voyage,  continuing  his  studies  by  himself 
whenever  and  wherever  he  could.  After  many 
adventurous  voyages  on  the  Mediterranean  he 
made  his  way  to  Portugal  and  from  thence 
to  Spain,  from  which  country  he  sailed  forth 
into  unknown  seas  to  discover  a  new  continent. 


Columbus. 


THE   STORY  OF  ITALY  11 

But  his  great  discoveries,  though  they  brought 
fame  and  renown,  were  not  an  unmixed  good  to 
his  own  country.  Until  then  Italy  had  led  the 
world  in  art,  in  fashion,  and  in  literature.  Many 
of  the  princes  of  Europe  borrowed  money  from 
Florentine  bankers,  and  Genoa  and  Venice  con- 
trolled the  commerce  of  the  Mediterranean. 
But  when  Columbus  discovered  America  and 
brought  to  the  whole  world  new  ojjportunities 
for  commerce,  Italy  began  to  lose  the  advantage 
she  had  held,  and  the  decline  of  her  commercial 
power  is  said  to  date  from  1492. 

Modern  Italy 

The  next  two  centuries  have  been  called  the 
"Age  of  Invasion,"  for  it  was  at  this  time  that 
the  different  nations  warred  over  Italy,  and  her 
principalities  were  many  times  transferred  from 
one  prince  to  another;  indeed,  the  "Scramble 
for  Italy  "  was  much  like  that  for  Africa  in  a 
later  day,  and  England,  France,  Spain,  and  Aus- 
tria all  had  more  power  in  deciding  the  fate  of 
the  country  than  poor  Italy  herself. 

In  1559,  by  the  peace  of  Catau-Cambresis,  Origin  of 
Piedmont  was  given  to  Emanuel  Filibert,  Duke  oJ^s^vo"^^ 
of  Savoy.  It  is  from  this  family  that  the  pres- 
ent king  of  Italy  is  descended.  It  is  said  that 
at  this  time  they  ruled  "  the  most  genuine 
Italian  state  in  the  peninsula  —  Savoy,  which 
was  formerly  only  a  little  domain  in  the  valley 


12 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  LATIN  LANDS 


Italy  again 
divided 
mnng  the 
nations. 


of  the  Savoyard."  As  the  years  went  on  one 
power  after  another  acquired  and  ceded  back 
different  parts  of  Italy,  and  there  seemed  no  hope 
that  she  would  ever  be  one  united,  free  country. 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  eighteenth  century 
came  the  French  Revolution,  and  after  that 
Napoleon,  who  drove  out  the  Austrians  and  took 
possession  of  Piedmont  and  Milan,  and  in  1805 
had  himself  crowned  king  of  Italy,  making  his 
brother  Joseph  king  of  Naples  during  the  next 
year.  When  he  was  at  the  height  of  his  power 
nearly  all  of  Italy  was  under  his  control.  But 
though  Napoleon  set  up  and  demolished  king- 
doms in  the  peninsula  at  his  own  sweet  will,  yet 
he  also  did  much  to  benefit  Italy.  He  constructed 
splendid  roads,  recovered  buried  treasures  of 
sculpture  and  architecture,  and  gave  the  people 
good  laws.  The  first  idea  of  Italian  unity  came 
to  those  who  from  different  parts  of  Italy  were 
fighting  together  in  Napoleon's  armies,  so  in 
Italy,  as  in  so  many  other  countries,  he  may  be 
said  to  be  the  forerunner  of  a  new  and  better  day. 

After  the  fall  of  Napoleon  in  1815,  the  Con- 
gress of  Vienna  divided  Italy  once  more  among 
the  nations.  Victor  Emanuel  received  Pied- 
mont, Savo}'-,  and  Genoa;  Austria  took  Lombardy 
and  Venetia;  the  states  of  the  Church  were 
given  to  the  pope,  the  Two  Sicilies  to  the  Spanish 
Bourbons,  and  only  little  San  Marino  was  left  as 
an  independent  republic,  which  it  still  continues 
to  be,  the  smallest  republic  in  the  world.     From 


THE  STORY   OF  ITALY  13 

this  time  till  1848  Italy  can  hardly  be  said  to 
have  had  any  history,  yet  even  then  the  idea  of 
a  United  Italy  was  springing  up  in  a  few  hearts; 
for  this  was  the  age  of  Mazzini,  Garibaldi,  and 
Cavour. 

Mazzini  was  a  young  Italian  patriot  who  or-  Mazzini, 
ganized  a  society  called  "  Young  Italy,"  and  q^^'u^^^- 
who  believed  that  "  Italy  might,  and  must  some 
day,  exist  as  a  free  nation."  Having  tried  in 
vain  to  persuade  Charles  Albert,  who  was  now 
king  of  Sardinia,  to  lead  his  party  in  an  attempt 
to  drive  the  Austrians  out  of  Italy,  lie  aroused 
the  army  and  incited  many  insurrections,  but 
was  at  last  obliged  to  flee  from  Italy.  Cavour 
was  the  Prime  Minister,  of  whom  we  shall  hear 
later,  and  Garibaldi  was  the  soldier  hero,  greatly 
beloved  by  his  countrymen. 

Augusta  Hale  Giff  ord,  in  her  History  of  Italy, 
writes  of  these  men: 

"Of  the  three  leaders  who  soon  became  promment, 
Mazziui  was  said  to  be  the  prophet,  Cavour  the  statesman, 
and  Garibaldi  the  knight  errant  of  Italian  independence. 
They  were  all  natives  of  the  Sardinian  kingdom,  Mazzini 
from  Genoa,  Garibaldi  from  Nice,  and  Cavour  from 
Piedmont." 

The  same  writer  has  said  of  Cavour : 

"  He  had  the  genius  of  the  statesman,  together  with 
practical  sense  and  great  swiftness  of  detail;  and  though 
but  for  the  others  he  could  not  have  been  the  saviour  of 
Italy,  without  him  Mazzini's  fanatical  effort  would  have 
been  abortive,  and  Garibaldi's  dexterous  strokes  in  arms 
must  have  resulted  in  failure." 


14 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 


Cavour 
as  Prime 
Minister. 


Peace  of 

Villafrauca. 


In  1847  an  Austrian  array  entered  Ferrara, 
and  all  central  Italy  rose  against  them  under 
Charles  Albert  of  Sardinia;  but  though  at  first 
successful,  the  Italians  were  defeated  at  Novara, 
and  the  French  and  Austrians  put  down  the 
struggle  for  freedom  everywhere.  Charles 
Albert  resigned,  and  the  hope  of  Italy  was 
centred  in  his  son,  Victor  Emanuel  II.,  Avhose 
subjects  already  had  a  constitutional  govern- 
ment, a  free  press,  and  considerable  religious 
liberty.  In  1853  Count  Cavour  became  Prime 
Minister.  He  induced  the  king  to  join  with 
England  and  France  in  the  Crimean  War,  believ- 
ing that  if  Italy  should  prove  a  useful  all}',  these 
powers  would  aid  in  her  deliverance.  At  the 
Congress  of  Paris,  held  during  the  next  year  to 
arrange  terms  of  peace,  Cavour  took  the  oppor- 
tunity to  lay  before  the  European  powers  the 
unhappy  condition  of  Italy,  and  enlisted  the 
sympathy  of  England  and  France. 

In  1859  France  and  Sardinia  declared  war 
against  the  Austrians  and  defeated  tliem  at 
Magenta  and  Solferino,  but  the  French  emperor 
Napoleon  III.  failed  to  keep  his  promise  of  free- 
ing Italy,  and  concluded  the  peace  of  Villafranca, 
which  gave  Lombardy  to  Victor  Emanuel  II., 
but  still  left  to  Austria  the  province  of  Venetia. 
Then  Giuseppi  Garibaldi,  "  the  hero  of  the  red 
shirt,"  rose  up  and  delivered  Sicily,  and  this 
with  all  the  other  states  except  the  Austrian 
province  of  Venetia  and  the  Papal  States  were, 


THE  STORY  OF  ITALY  15 

by  vote,  united  into  the  kingdom    of   Italy   in 
1861,  with  Victor  Emanuel  II.  tis  king. 

In  1866  Italy  and  Prussia  combined  and 
compelled  Austria  to  give  up  Venice  and 
Verona ;  and  in  1870,  the  French  troops  hav- 
ing been  withdrawn  on  account  of  a  war  with 
Germany,  Rome  was  also  united  to  the  Italian 
kingdom.  On  September  20,  1870,  Victor 
Emanuel  II.  entered  Rome  as  king  of  United 
Italy.  Great  was  the  rejoicing  of  the  people, 
and  one  cannot  wonder  that  there  is  now  in 
almost  every  city  of  Italy  a  "  Via  Venti  Set- 
tembre "  (Street  of  the  Twentieth  of  Sep- 
tember). Victor  Emanuel  proved  himself  a  wise 
and  able  ruler  and  was  much  beloved  by  his 
people.       His  death,  after  a  reign  of  eighteen  Death  of 

years,  caused  great  sorrow  throughout  all  Italy,   Y}^^°^ 

•^  °   ^  °     _  •'      Emanuel  II. 

and  the  words  "  To  the  Father  of  His  Country  " 
were  placed  over  his  tomb  in  the  Pantheon. 

His  eldest  son,  the  Prince  of  Piedmont,  suc- 
ceeded him  as  Humbert  I.  He  was  a  wise  and 
successful  ruler,  who  did  much  to  make  Italy  a 
great  and  prosperous  country,  and  there  was 
great  mourning  all  over  the  land  when,  in 
1900,  he  was  assassinated  by  an  anarchist  from 
Tuscany.  Funeral  services  were  held  even  in 
the  smallest  villages,  and  his  body,  like  his 
father's,  was  buried  in  the  Pantheon,  once  a 
Roman  temple  consecrated  to  all  the  gods,  but 
now  used  as  the  last  resting  place  of  all  the 
kings  of  Italy. 


16 


THE  GOSPEL   IN   LATIN  LANDS 


Hindrances 

to  progress 
in  Italy. 


Victor  The  Prince  of  Naples  succeeded  his  father  as 

Emanuel  III.  y-^^.^^.  j^n^.^j^^^gi  jH,      He  had  married  in  1896 

the  Princess  Helene,  daughter  of  the  Prince  of 
Montenegro,  and  there  are  now  in  the  pahice 
four  little  royal  children,  two  daughters  and 
two  sons.  Until  the  birth  of  Humbert,  the 
little  "  Prince  of  Piedmont,"  as  he  is  called,  the 
direct  heir  to  the  throne  had  been  the  Duke 
of  the  Abruzzi,  the  son  of  King  Humbert's 
brother. 

Italy  is  constantly  growing  more  powerful 
and  prosperous,  but  she  still  has  much  to  con- 
tend with.  In  parts  of  the  old  Papal  States, 
and  in  some  provinces  of  Calabria  and  Sicily, 
the  people  are  so  poorly  paid  for  their  work  that 
their  poverty  has  stunted  them  mentally  and 
physically,  and  in  all  Italy  the  people  are  still 
heavily  taxed.  This  has  led  to  the  enormous 
emigration  from  that  country.  During  the 
last  twenty-five  years  it  is  said  that  five  mill- 
ions have  gone  from  Italy  to  other  countries. 
A  hundred  thousand  go  every  year  to  Switzer- 
land, and  still  larger  numbers  to  our  own  coun- 
try, while  many  others  go  to  England  and  South 
America,  and  it  is  said  that  Argentina  is  now 
nearly  half  Italian. 

According  to  recent  statistics  there  are  now 
in  Italy  about  sixty  thousand  schools,  with  over 
three  million  pupils.  Every  parish  has  a  girls' 
and  a  boys'  school,  with  one  teacher  for  every 
seventy-five  pupils,  and  the  larger  cities  have 


Present 
conditions 


THE  STORY   OF  ITALY  17 

higher  schools.  Education  is  compulsory,  how- 
ever, only  from  the  ages  of  six  to  nine,  and  even 
this  is  not  fully  enforced  on  account  of  lack  of 
teachers.  Many  normal  schools  have,  however, 
been  established  of  late,  which  are  helping  to 
remedy  this  evil. 

Suffrage  is  now  given  to  those  who  are  of 
age  and  can  read  and  write.  The  number  of 
post  and  telegraph  offices  is  increasing,  and 
commerce  is  improving,  and  notwithstanding 
many  difficulties  Italy  is  taking  her  place 
among  the  great  powers  of  the  world.  The 
one  thing  Italy  needs  is  "  to  know  the  love  of 
God,"  and  to  enjoy  the  blessings  of  a  truly 
Christian  civilization,  freed  from  ignorance  and 
superstition,  and  the  still  more  disastrous  in- 
fluence of  infidelity  and  indifference  to  all 
religion. 


GREAT  COUNCILS  OF  THE  CHURCH 

These  councils  have  been  called  Ecumenical,  or  Gen- 
eral, because  the  whole  Christian  world  has,  in  theory 
at  least,  assembled  to  take  counsel  together.  Both  the 
Greek  and  the  Latin  churches  have  acknowledged  seven 
Ecumenical  Councils : 

1.  The  First  Council  of  Nice,  325  a.d. 

2.  The  First  Council  of  Constantinople,  381  a.d. 

3.  The  First  Council  of  Ephesus,  431  a.d. 

4.  The  Council  of  Cbalcedon,  4.51  a.d. 

5.  The  Second  Council  of  Constantinople,  .5.53  a.d. 

6.  The  Third  Council  of  Constantinople,  680  a.d. 

7.  The  Second  Council  of  Nice,  787  a.d. 

Roman  Catholics  also  recognize  the  following  Coun- 
cils: 

8.  Fourth  Council  of  Constantinople,  869  a.d. 

9.  First  Council  of  the  Lateran,  1123  a.d. 

10.  Second  Council  of  the  Lateran,  1139  a.d. 

11.  Third  Coimcil  of  the  Lateran,  1179  a.d. 

12.  Fourth  Council  of  the  Lateran,  1215  a.d. 

13.  First  Council  of  Lyons,  1245  a.d. 

14.  Second  Council  of  Lyons,  1274  a.d. 

15.  Council  of  Vienne  in  France,  1311  a.d. 

16.  Council  of  Constance,  1414-18  a.d. 

17.  Council  of  Basle,  1431-38  a.d. 

18.  Fifth  Council  of  the  Lateran,  1512-17  a.d. 

19.  Council  of  Trent,  1545-63  a.d. 

20.  Council  of  the  Vatican,  1869-70  a.d. 

The  separation  of  the  Greek  and  Latin  churches  took 
place  in  1024  a.d. 


18 


CHAPTER   I 

THE   GOSPEL   IN   ITALY 

1.    The  Rise  of  Christianity  in  Italy 

The  early  Romans  worshipped  many  gods  The  early 
and  wished  for  no  better  way;  but  as  learning  ™*^s. 
and  culture  increased  many  became  dissatisfied 
and  gave  up  the  worship  of  the  gods,  though 
they  knew  of  nothing  better  to  take  its  place. 
Some  tried  to  satisfy  themselves  with  philosophy, 
and,  accepting  the  teaching  of  Epicurus  that 
happiness  was  the  chief  end  of  life,  gave  them- 
selves up  to  the  enjoyment  of  the  present,  for- 
getting that  he  also  taught  that  there  could  be 
no  real  happiness  without  the  practice  of  virtue. 
Still  others  accepted  the  teaching  of  Zeno,  that 
a  man  ought  to  "  do  his  duty  regardless  of  pain, 
pleasure,  poverty,  honor,  or  disgrace."  But 
there  was  still  some  knowledge  of  the  true  God 
in  Italy  as  well  as  in  many  other  places,  and 
there  were  Jews  scattered  all  over  the  Roman 
Empire  who  still  held  the  faith  which  had  been 
committed  to  them. 

In  the  days  of  Augustus  there  was  a  prevail-   Augustus, 
ing  impression  in  many  parts  of  the  world  that 
sometime  a  Deliverer    would   come,    for   there 
19 


20  THE  GOSPEL  IN  LATIN  LANDS 

was  a  prophecy  in  the  Book  of  the  Sibyls,  as 
well  as  in  the  Old  Testament,  which  foretold 
this  event.  But  the  Deliverer  was  to  come  in 
a  way  that  they  knew  not. 

Eight  years  after  he  became  emperor,  while 
he  was  still  ruling  over  many  millions  of  pagans, 
"  There  went  out  a  decree  frorti  Caesar  Augustus 
that  all  the  tvorld  should  be  taxed :  and  all  ivent  to 
be  taxed,  every  one  into  his  own  city  ;  and  Joseph 
also  went  up  into  the  city  of  David,  which  is  called 
Bethlehem,  to  be  taxed  with  Mary,  his  espoused 
wife.'"'  And  so  it  came  to  pass,  through  a  de- 
cree of  the  Roman  emperor,  though  without 
his  purpose  or  knowledge,  that  the  little  Child 
whose  life  and  teachings  were  to  effect  a  greater 
transformation  than  any  event  that  had  ever 
Birth  occurred  in  the  whole  world,  was  born  in  Beth- 

lehem, an  obscure  little  town,  in  a  far-away  and 
little-known  part  of  the  Roman  Empire.  For 
Jesus  Christ  had  come  to  establish  a  world 
religion,  and  the  very  greatness  and  power  of 
the  Roman  Empire,  which  had  brought  so  many 
peoples  together  under  one  government,  would 
make  it  possible  for  the  disciples  of  Christ  to 
travel  from  one  land  to  another,  preaching  the 
things  concerning  His  kingdom. 

For  thirtj^  years  the  Holy  Child  who  had 
been  born  in  Bethleliem  lived  a  quiet  life,  un- 
known even  to  His  own  people  as  the  Messiah. 
Then  it  came  to  pass,  "J/i  the  fifteenth  year  of 
the   reign  of  Tiberius   Ocesar,"  the  successor  of 


of  Christ. 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  ITALY  21 

Augustus,  tliat  "  the  word  of  Grod  came  unto  John, 
the  son  of  Zacharias  in  the  wilderness;  and  he 
came  into  all  the  country  about  Jordan,  preaching 
the  baptism  of  repentance.''''  Jesus  was  baptized 
by  him  and  tlien  began  His  public  ministry. 
But  thougli  '-'■  He  was  in  the  tvorld  and  the  world 
was  made  by  Him,  the  world  knew  Him  not,'''  and 
so  it  came  to  pass  that  toward  the  end  of  the 
reign  of  Tiberius,  with  the  consent  of  Pilate,  the  The 

T3  T  r^\     •   i.  -a     ^  \        crucifixion. 

Koman  governor,  Jesus  Christ  was  crucitied  by 
Roman  soldiers. 

But  of  all  the  wonderful  events  that  were 
taking  place  in  the  Roman  Empire,  the  Roman 
people  knew  nothing,  though  there  is  a  legend 
that  Pilate  wrote  to  Tiberius  an  account  of  the 
miracles  and  crucifixion  of  Christ.  On  the  Day 
of  Pentecost,  Peter  preached  his  famous  sermon 
in  Jerusalem,  "  aiid  there  xvere  dwelling  at  Jeru- 
salem Jeivs,  devout  men,  out  of  every  nation  under 
heaven''\'  among  the  crowd  who  listened  to  Peter 
on  that  day  were  also  some  "  strangers  of  Home," 
and  it  may  be  that  among  them  were  some  who 
not  only  heard  the  Gospel  but  accepted  it,  and 
were  perhaps  the  first  to  carry  the  religion  of 
Christ  to  Rome,  though  of  that  we  have  no 
record. 

From  Antioch,  in  Syria,  Paul  went  out  on  his  Paul  in 
missionary   journeys  through  Asia  Minor   and  ^™®- 
Greece,  and  at  last  to  Rome  itself,  where,  al- 
though a  prisoner,  he  still  ^'•preached  the  king- 
dom of  Grod  and  taught  those  things  which  con- 


22 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN   LANDS 


cern  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  with  all  confidence^  no 
man  forbidding  him.''^  How  many  Christians 
there  were  then  in  Italy  we  do  not  know,  but 
we  know  that  Paul  found  some  of  that  faith  in 
Puteoli  (the  modern  Pozzuoli),  and,  judging 
from  his  letter  to  the  Romans,  written  before 
his  imprisonment,  he  must  have  had  many 
friends  in  Rome.  Look  over  the  list  of  those 
to  whom  he  sent  greetings  in  the  last  chapter 
of  Romans,  and  you  will  feel  acquainted  with 
a  few  of  them.  Already  the  Christian  religion 
had  spread  from  the  Jews  to  the  Greeks,  and 
from  the  Greeks  to  the  Romans. 

During  the  reigns  of  Augustus,  Tiberius, 
Caligula,  Claudius,  and  until  the  tenth  year  of 
the  reign  of  Nero,  the  Roman  Empire  pro- 
tected the  Christians.  In  Philippi  the  fact 
that  Paul  was  a  Roman  citizen  was  his  safe- 
guard; in  Corinth  he  was  saved  from  the  popu- 
lace by  Gallio,  who  cared  nothing  for  the  Jews 
or  for  Paul,  but  only  for  the  Roman  law ;  in 
Jerusalem  he  was  protected  from  his  own  coun- 
trymen by  Roman  soldiers,  and  sent  on  by  the 
Roman  governor  to  Cesarea,  from  whence  he 
appealed  unto  Csesar  as  the  only  way  of  obtain- 
ing justice.  This  was  probably  in  the  year 
62  A.D. 

In  the  year  64  came  the  dreadful  conflagra- 
tion in  Rome,  which  wrought  more  havoc  than 
anything  that  had  happened  there  since  the 
burning  of  the  city  by  the  Gauls  in  390  B.C. 


cutions. 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  ITALY  23 

It  was  generally  believed  that  Nero  set  fire  to 
the  city,  and,  to  avert  suspicion  from  himself, 
charged  the  Christians  with  the  crime.  Then  Perse- 
began  his  great  persecutions,  in  which  many 
Christians  died,  and  it  was  probably  during  this 
period  that  Paul  was  beheaded.  In  later  years 
followed  other  persecutions  by  Domitian,  Tra- 
jan, Hadrian,  Marcus  Aurelius,  Decius,  and 
Diocletian.  A  historian  of  the  fourth  century 
has  written  of  the  persecution  during  the  reign 
of  Diocletian : 

"  With  little  rest  for  eight  years,  the  whip  and  the 
rack,  the  tigers,  the  hooks  of  steel,  and  the  red-hot  beds  con- 
tinued to  do  their  deadly  work.  And  then,  in  a.d.  311, 
when  life  was  fading  from  his  dying  eye,  Galerius  pub- 
lished an  edict  permitting  Christians  to  worship  God  in 
their  own  way." 

But  in  spite  of  all  hindrances,  the  Gospel 
had  now  been  carried  into  all  parts  of  the  Ro- 
man Empire.  Tacitus  wrote  early  in  the  sec- 
ond century,  "  This  detestable  superstition  broke 
out  on  all  sides,  not  only  in  Judea,  but  in  the 
city  of  Rome  itself." 

Justin  Martyr  wrote  in  the  second  century: 


had  spread. 


"  Thereis  notasingle  race  of  men,  Barbarians,  Greeks,  or   How  far 
by  whatever  name  they  may  be  called,  warlike  or  nomadic,    Christianity 
homeless  or  dwelling  in  tents,  or  leading   a  pastoral  life, 
among  whom  prayers  and  thanksgivings  are  not  offered 
in  the  name  of  Jesus  the  Crucified,  to  the  Father  and  Crea- 
tor of  all  things." 


24 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 


Christianity 
made  the 
state  reli- 
gion by 
Constautine. 


Tertulliaii  in  the  third  century  wrote  : 

"  We  are  but  of  yesterday,  and  lo,  we  fill  the  whole 
empire  —  your  cities,  your  islands,  your  fortresses,  your 
municipalities,  your  councils,  nay  even  the  camji,  the 
sections,  the  palace,  the  senate,  the  forum.  We  have  left 
you  only  your  temples." 

It  had  become  plain  by  this  time  that  Chris- 
tianity could  not  be  stamped  out  by  persecution, 
and  indeed  the  time  was  not  far  distant  when  a 
Roman  emperor  would  accept  the  Cliristian  re- 
ligion. It  must  have  been  a  wonderful  day  to 
the  Christian  Church  when  it  became  known 
that  Constantine  had  adopted  that  faith,  and  it 
is  not  strange  that  his  story  of  a  glorious  vis- 
ion of  the  cross  with  its  motto,  "By  this  con- 
quer," was  repeated  everywhere  until  at  last  it 
passed  down  into  history.  It  must  have  been 
a  still  more  wonderful  day  when,  by  the  Edict 
of  Milan,  in  313  A.D.,  Christianity  was  pro- 
claimed as  the  religion  of  the  state,  and  the 
Roman  emperor  advised  his  subjects  to  accept 
that  faith,  though  he  did  not  forbid  pagan- 
ism, but  rather  ridiculed  it.  Constantine  built 
new  cliurches  and  repaired  old  ones,  and  pro- 
claimed Sunday  as  a  day  of  rest :  it  was  at 
this  time  that  he  made  Constantinople  the 
capital  of  his  empire. 

Julian,  the  next  emperor,  tried  to  restore 
paganism  but  failed,  and  by  the  end  of  the 
fourth  century  it  might  be  said  that  the  reign 
of   paganism    was   ended,   and    that   the  great 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  ITALY  25 

majority  of  the  people  in  the  Roman  Empire 
were  nominally  Christians.  This  religion,  born  The 
among  the  Jews,  and  carried  by  them  to  Rome,  Qj^r'isUanity. 
and  sent  forth  from  that  city  throughout  all  the 
Roman  Empire,  is  to-day  accepted  by  all  the 
nations  that  formed  a  part  of  that  empire,  or 
received  their  religion  and  civilization  from  it. 
Let  us  never  forget  that  to  Italy,  in  a  large 
measure,  we  owe  our  own  Christianity  and 
civilization  of  to-day. 

2.    The  Roman   Catholic   Church  in  Italy 

From  the  time  when  Constantine  proclaimed  Gregory 
Christianity  as  the  state  religion,  until  the  time  59^^^^**' 
of  Gregory  the  Great,  was  the  period  of  the  es- 
tablishment and  organization  of  Christianity. 

The  persecutions  ceased,  but  there  was  yet 
no  peace  for  the  Christian  Church,  for  now 
began  disputes  and  dissensions  among  them- 
selves. Arius,  a  pastor  of  Alexandria,  had 
proclaimed  the  doctrine  that  since  the  Son  was 
created  by  God,  there  must  have  been  a  time 
when  He  did  not  exist,  and  therefore  He  was 
not  equal  to  the  Father.  Since  this  involved 
the  denial  of  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  it 
aroused  great  excitement  and  discussion,  which 
even  the  emperor  could  not  quell.  He  there-  Council 
fore  called  a  great  council  of  the  bishops  from 
all  parts  of  the  world,  known  as  the  Council  of 
Nicsea,  which   met   at   Nictea   in    Bithynia,  in 


26  THE  GOSPEL  IN  LATIN  LANDS 

the  year  325.  There  were  three  hundred  and 
eighteen  bishops  at  this  council,  who  remained 
in  session  sixty -seven  days.  Tliey  gave  ahnost 
their  whole  attention  to  the  new  doctrines  of 
Arius,  and  published  their  decision  in  the  docu- 
ment ever  since  known  as  the  Nicene  Creed, 
which  proclaimed  in  the  most  emphatic  terms 
the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  and  declared  the 
Arian  doctrines  to  be  heresy.  It  was  during 
the  discussions  to  which  this  led  that  some 
of  the  great  theological  writers,  such  as  Am- 
brose, Athanasius,  Chrysostom,  St.  Jerome,  and 
St.  Augustine  wrote. 
The  The  period  known  as  the  Dark  Ages,  590-1073, 

ar  ges.  ^^^  ^^^^  ^^  much  ignorance  and  superstition. 
What  learning  there  was  in  the  world  was 
mostly  in  the  Church,  and  since  it  was  during 
this  period  that  the  popes  rose  to  great  power, 
we  may  well  give  a  little  space  here  to  the 
story  of  the  popes  and  their  influence  upon  the 
Christian  life  of  the  world. 
The  claim  The    claim   of   the  Roman  Catholic  Church 

suc^e^ssion.'°  *^^^  ^^^®  popes  have  derived  their  authority  in 
direct  succession  from  St.  Peter,  whom  they 
believe  to  have  been  the  first  bishop  of  Rome, 
is  denied  by  the  Protestant  Church,  which 
maintains  that  it  is  doubtful  if  Peter  ever  saw 
Rome.  This  claim,  however,  in  the  minds  of 
devout  Catholics,  has  given  to  the  chief  bishop 
of  Rome  a  unique  standing  among  all  the  dig- 
nitaries of  the  Church,  and  has  made  him  the 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  ITALY  27 

Pontifex  Maximus  of  tliuir  great  Church  in  all 
the  world. 

The  history  of  the  earlier  bishops  of  Rome  Increasing 
is  comparatively^  unimportant,  and  it  was  not  tj^^hL^oDs 
until  the  Western  Empire  was  overthrown  that 
the  power  of  the  Roman  bishop  became  so  over- 
mastering. Then  it  was  that  he  was  first  called 
pope,  and  being  the  chief  representative  of  the 
Church  in  what  had  been  the  capital  of  the 
world,  his  influence  increased  as  the  power  of 
the  Roman  Empire  waned. 

In  the  eighth  century,  Pepin  was  called  upon 
to  save  Rome  from  the  incursions  of  the  Lom- 
bards, a  task  which  he  successfully  performed, 
and  then  bestowed  upon  the  popes  the  city  of 
Rome  and  part  of  the  territory  which  he  had 
won  from  his  enemies.  Charlemagne  confirmed 
the  grant  and  added  to  it,  and  thus  the  tem-  Temporal 

poral   power   of    the    popes    was    established.   P"^erof 

.  ,  .  .  the  popes. 

Little  by  little  this  power  grew  with  the  suc- 
cessive popes  until  kings  trembled  at  their 
slightest  word.  For  a  time  the  German  kings 
tried  to  resist  their  overweening  pretensions; 
but  when  a  strong  pope  like  Hildebrand,  under 
the  title  of  Gregory  VII.,  came  to  the  pontifical 
chair,  even  they  found  that  their  opposition 
was  useless,  and  were  simply  overwhelmed  with 
defeat  and  humiliation,  as  when  Gregory  VII. 
excommunicated  Henry  IV.,  and  forbade  his 
people  to  have  anything  to  do  with  him,  under 
pain  of   the  fires  of  hell.     "  The  superstitious 


28 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  LATIN  LANDS 


Extrava- 
gant claims 
of  the  popes. 


people,"  we  are  told,  "believing  that  the  pope 
had  entire  power  to  send  them  all  to  perdition, 
in  their  terror  simultaneously  and  universally 
abandoned  the  emperor.  No  servant  dared  to 
engage  in  his  employ;  no  soldier  dared  to  serve 
under  his  banner  ;  the  emperor  found  himself 
in  an  hour  utterly  crushed  and  helpless ;  the 
pope  summoned  a  congress,  and  appointed  an- 
other emperor  in  place  of  his  deposed  victim." 

The  story  of  Henry's  journey  to  Canossa, 
where  he  stood  for  three  days  in  midwinter 
barefooted  and  bareheaded  at  the  pope's  gate, 
before  absolution  was  granted,  is  too  well 
known  to  be  rehearsed  at  length.  It  simply 
shows  the  climax  of  the  arrogant  power  readied 
by  one  of  the  strongest  of  the  popes,  who  de- 
clared that  "  there  is  but  one  name  in  the  world, 
and  that  is  the  pope's.  All  princes  ought  to 
kiss  his  feet ;  nobody  can  judge  him ;  he  has 
never  erred,  and  never  shall  err  in  time  to 
come." 

For  centuries  such  claims  as  these  were  main- 
tained. Weak  popes  and  strong  popes,  bad 
men  and  good  men,  succeeded  each  other  in  the 
papal  chair,  while  the  kings  of  Europe  sustained 
their  assumption  for  the  sake  of  the  control 
they  were  thus  able  to  maintain  over  their 
subjects. 
Iconoclasts.  It  was  during  these  centuries  that  a  contro- 
versy arose  among  Christians  in  regard  to  the 
reverence  paid  to  sacred  pictures.     Many  con- 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  ITALY  29 

sidered  this  a  form  of  idolatry,  and  believed 
that  all  pictures  and  images  in  the  churches 
sliould  be  destroyed,  and  these  were  known  as 
iconoclasts,  or  image  breakers.  In  Italy,  how- 
ever, the  popes  strongly  opposed  the  iconoclast 
emperors,  and  at  last  the  controversy  ended  in 
favor  of  the  worshippers  of  images. 

During  the  eleventh,  twelfth,  and  thirteenth 
centuries  occurred  the  crusades,  which  doubt- 
less had  some  indirect  influence  in  strengthening 
the  Christian  Church,  but  which  failed  in  their 
main  object  of  taking  the  tomb  of  our  Lord 
from  the  hands  of  the  Moslems.  During  the  Quarrels 
next  two  or  three  centuries  we  read  of   little  between 

popes  and 

but  the  struggles  on  the  part  of  the  popes  to  emperors, 
obtain  and  keep  great  temporal  power,  and  on 
the  part  of  the  emperors  to  leave  to  them  only 
spiritual  authority. 

In  the  early  part  of  the  sixteenth  century  Dawn  of  the 
nearly  all  of  Europe  was  Roman  Catholic,  but  ^o^°^™^" 
for  years  it  had  been  plain  that  changes  were 
going  on  in  the  religious  thought  of  the  world, 
and  the  dominant  Church  had  been  growing 
more  and  more  corrupt.  Many  men  had 
taught  doctrines  which  tlie  Western  Church 
declared  heretical,  and  some  had  been  burned 
at  the  stake  for  holding  such  beliefs.  The 
Albigenses,  for  disbelieving  some  of  the  doc- 
trines taught  by  the  Roman  Cliurch,  and  ob- 
jecting to  the  dominion  of  the  popes,  had  been 
put  down  by  a  crusade  ;   Wycliffe  in  England 


30  THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 

and  Huss  in  Bohemia  had  been  put  to  death  for 
teaching  simihir  doctrines,  and  in  many  parts 
of  Europe  there  were  those  who  felt  the  neces- 
sity of  a  reformation  of  some  kind.  It  was  at 
this  time  that  Pope  Leo  X.,  for  the  sake  of 
filling  the  church  treasury,  proposed  the  sale  of 
indulgences,  which  many  people  believed  gave 
them  free  permission  to  commit  any  crime. 
This  led  to  the  great  Protestant  upheaval  under 
such  leaders  as  Martin  Luther,  Melanchthon, 
Calvin,  Zwingli,  and  others. 

The  Roman  Catholics  now  felt  it  necessary 
to  resort  once  more  to  a  great  council  as  the 
best  means  of  arresting  the  progress  of  Prot- 
estantism, and  in  15-15  Paul  III.  called  the 
Council  of  Trent.  This  council  condemned  all 
Protestant  doctrines,  and  proclaimed  once  more 
the  doctrines  of  purgatory,  the  invocation  of 
saints,  and  the  worship  of  images  and  relics. 
There  seemed  no  longer  any  hope  that  the 
popes  and  the  reformers  could  come  to  any 
agreement,  and  it  was  not  long  before  a  large 
part  of  northern  Europe,  led  by  Lutlier  and 
other  reformers,  was  separated  from  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church.  In  a  general  way  it  might 
be  said  that  the  Teutonic  nations  adopted  the 
Protestant  religion,  while  the  Latin  nations 
still  held  to  the  Catholic  faith.  But  the  Refor- 
mation made  very  little  impression  upon  Italy, 
although  there  were  a  few  heroic  souls  in  the 
Waldensian  valleys  who  still   held  to    a   pure 


TUE  GOSPEL   IN  ITALY  31 

foi'in    of    the    Christian    religion  ;     the    Roman 
Catholic  Church  still  went  on  its  way  as  before. 

The  sixteenth  century  was  also  an  age  of  Advance  in 
great  advance  in  knowledge  in  many  directions,  ^'lowiedge. 
The  religious  disputes  led  to  much  writing  on 
theological  matters.  The  Italian  language  be- 
gan to  be  studied.  Men  learned  much  about 
the  movements  of  the  heavenly  bodies,  though 
the  popes  still  held  that  this  new  teaching  was 
heretical.  Pope  Gregory  III.  put  the  calen- 
dar right,  which  had  not  been  corrected  since 
the  time  of  Ciesar,  though  for  a  long  time  this 
reform  was  not  accepted  by  Protestants.  To 
this  day  it  is  refused  by  the  Greek  Church,  and 
the  old  style  calendar  is  still  used  in  the  lands 
where  that  faith  is  accepted. 

For  many  years  after  the  nations  of  northern  Temporal 
Europe  broke  away  from  the  Catholic  Church  fi°7popes 
the  popes  still  maintained  their  pretensions  to  weakened, 
temporal  power;  but  when  the  spirit  of  liberty 
awoke,  and  the  effort  Avas  being  made  to  estab- 
lish one  central  government  for  united  Italy, 
the  power  of  the  popes  was  greatly  weakened. 
In  1861,  Cavour,  the  Prime  Minister,  in  a  pub- 
lic address,  declared  that  Rome  ought  to  be  the 
capital  of  Italy.     A    recent  historian^  says  of 
this  address: 

"  He  showed  that  it  held  within  itself  all  the  elements   Cavour's 
that  the  chief   city  of  a   great    state   needed ;  and   that    speech, 
everything  pointed  to  Rome,  with  its  renown  of  twenty-five 

1  Augusta  Hale  Gifford. 


32  THE  GOSPEL   IX   LATIN  LANDS 

centuries,  as  the  glorious  capital.  With  regard  to  the 
Church,  he  said  that  liberty  being  favorable  to  the  de- 
velopment of  geiuiine  religion,  the  Church  would  lose 
nothing  by  the  amalgamation  of  Rome  and  Italy,  and 
that  the  Holy  Father  would  sacrifice  nothing  by  giving 
up  his  temporal  power ;  on  the  other  hand,  he  would  gain 
greater  liberty  than  that  which  he  had  sought  from  the 
Catholic  powers  and  had  never  been  able  to  gain  from  con- 
cordats. He  also  said  that  all  enlightened  Catholics  must 
see  that  His  Holiness  would  be  able  to  exei'cise  the  du- 
ties of  his  office  more  freely  and  independently  supported 
by  the  affections  of  millions  of  Italian  people  than  by 
twenty-five  thousand  bayonets.  Near  the  close  of  his 
speech,  the  last  he  ever  made  in  the  Chamber,  he  said, 
'All  the  world  knows  how  to  govern  by  martial  law ;  I 
would  rule  b)^  means  of  liberty.'  He  ended  with  a  plea 
for  '  a  free  church  in  a  free  state.'" 

After  the  victory  of  Sedan  in  1870  it  became 
plain  that  all  Italy  would  insist  that  the  pope 
should  give  up  his  temporal  power,  and  Victor 
Emanuel  II.  wrote  to  Pius  IX.  requesting  him  to 
do  so.  The  pope  flatly  refused,  and  on  Septem- 
ber 20,  1870,  the  Italian  troops  entered  the  Pa- 
pal States.  The  pope,  seeing  that  it  would  be 
vain  to.  resist,  commanded  that  there  should  be 
just  enough  force  shown  to  prove  to  the  world  that 
his  realms  had  been  taken  from  him  by  violence, 
and  Victor  Emanuel  II.  took  possession  of  the 
Papal  States  over  which  the  popes  had  ruled  for 
eleven  centuries.  The  pope  declared  that  he 
yielded  only  under  the  greatest  pressure,  and 
ever  since  that  day  the  Roman  pontiffs  have 
considered  themselves  prisoners  in  the  Vatican. 


THE   GOSPEL   IN  ITALY  33 

In  recounting  these  unwarranted  pretensions  Power  of  the 
of  the  papacy  and  its  corruption  at  certain  pe-   exerted  ^^ 
riods,  it  must  not  be  forgotten,  however,  that  the  for  good, 
power  of  the  popes  has  often  been  exerted  for 
good ;  that  art  and   letters  owe    much  to    the 
Roman  pontiff  in  the  darkest  period  of  modern 
histor}^,  and  that  of  late  years  men  of  good  moral 
character  have  occupied  the  papal  chair.     The 
gentleness  and  spirituality  of  the  present  pope 
is  acknowledged  by  all,  while   his  predecessor, 
Leo  XIII.,  is  admitted  to  have  been  one  of  the 
most  astute  diplomats,  as  well    as   one    of   the 
most   interesting  personalities,  that  ever  occu- 
pied the  reputed  chair  of  St.  Peter. 

Monasteries 

Before  we  leave  this  subject,  something  The  first 
shoukl  be  said  of  monasteries  and  their  influ-  mouastenes. 
ence  upon  the  Christian  Church.  In  the  days 
of  the  terrible  persecutions,  many  Christians  hid 
themselves  in  caves  in  the  wilderness.  Others, 
who  felt  the  temptations  of  the  world  too  strong 
for  them,  built  for  themselves  little  huts  in  the 
desert,  and  sought  to  live  pure  lives  there  away 
from  temptation.  In  time,  others  sought  these 
lonely  monks,  or  hermits,  until  there  came  to  be 
whole  communities  of  those  who  had  chosen  a 
life  of  solitude  and  fasting  and  prayer,  and 
monasteries  were  established  where  these  monks 
dwelt  toorether  under  strict  rules. 


34  THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 

St.  Chrysostom,  who  himself  lived  for  a  time 
in  the  cells  of  the  anchorites  near  Antioch,  has 
given  us  this  picture  of  monastic  life  in  the 
fourth  century: 

Monastic  "  They  rise  with  tlie  first  crowing  of  the  cock,  or  at 

life  m  the        midniglit.     After    having    read    psalms    and   hymns    in 
century  common,  each  in  his  separate  cell   is  occupied  in  read- 

ing the  Holy  Scriptures,  or  in  copying  books.  Then  they 
proceed  to  church,  and  after  mass  return  quietly  to  their 
habitations.  They  never  speak  to  each  other.  Their 
nourishment  is  bread  and  salt;  some  add  oil  to  it,  and 
the  invalids  vegetables.  After  meals  they  rest  a  few  mo- 
ments and  then  return  to  their  usual  occupations.  They 
till  the  ground,  fell  wood,  make  baskets  and  cliothes,  and 
wash  the  feet  of  travellers.  Their  bed  is  a  mat  spread 
upon  the  ground ;  their  dress  consists  of  skins,  or  cloths 
made  from  the  hair  of  goats  or  camels.  They  go  bare- 
footed, have  no  property,  and  never  pronounce  the  words 
mine  and  thine.  Undisturbed  peace  dwells  in  their  habi- 
tations, and  a  cheerfulness  scarcely  known  in  the  world." 

Benedictines  In  the  sixth  century,  St.  Benedict  established 
orders*  ^^  ^  monastry  on  Mount  Cassino  in  southern  Italy, 
and  founded  the  Benedictine  order  of  monks, 
and  in  later  years  the  Franciscans  and  Domini- 
cans, and  other  orders  were  established.  At 
first  only  men  lived  this  life,  but  about  the 
middle  of  the  fourth  century  female  monas- 
teries, or  convents,  also  began  to  be  founded. 
The  original  purpose  of  these  institutions 
was  good,  and  doubtless  man}'-  of  their  mem- 
bers lived  earnest  and  devout  lives,  and  did 
much  good  in  the  world,  especially  in  the  early 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  ITALY  35 

days.  Their  rules  of  discipline  were  very  se- 
vere, requiring  very  solemn  vows,  and  many 
of  the  truly  pious,  the  industrious,  the  temper- 
ate, and  the  learned  took  refuge  among  them. 
When  St.  Bernard  became  a  monk,  he  gave  all 
his  great  wealth  to  establish  charitable  institu- 
tions. As  other  rich  men  entered  the  monas- 
teries they  gave  all  their  possessions  to  the 
Church,  and  in  this  way  the  power  of  the 
Church  arose,  not  at  first  because  of  a  desire 
for  wealth  and  influence,  but  from  a  real  pur- 
pose to  do  good. 

But  as  \vealth  and  influence  increased,  gradu-  Monasteries 
ally  these  monasteries  grew  corrupt,  and  in  later  ^"PP^esse  , 
days  they  were  often  the  homes  of  idle,  luxuri- 
ous, even  irreligious  monks.  In  1854,  when  Italy 
was  progressing  toward  freedom  of  thought  and 
life,  through  the  influence  of  Cavour,  the  monas- 
teries were  suppressed,  only  those  actually  en- 
gaged in  religious  or  benevolent  work  being 
allowed  to  exist.  Many  of  those  visited  by 
tourists  in  these  modern  days  are  museums 
supported  by  the  state,  where  a  few  of  the 
old  monks  are  still  allowed  to  dwell. 


3.    The  Protestant  Chiwch  in  Italy 

The  Waldensian  Church. 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

The  Southern  Baptist  Convention. 

The  English  AVesleyan  Missionar_y  Society. 

The  English  Baptist  Missionary  Society. 


36 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 


Why  send 
missionaries 
to  Italy? 


The  question  will  naturally  arise  in  many 
minds,  Why  send  missionaries  to  Italy  ?  Is  not 
this  the  headquarters  of  the  greatest  Church 
in  the  world  ?  Is  not  this  fair  land  dotted  with 
cathedrals  and  religious  institutions  of  many 
kinds  ?  And  has  not  Protestantism,  through 
the  Waldenses,  obtained  a  strong  foothold? 

The  answer  to  this  question  is  found  in  the 
present  religious  condition  of  the  land  of  the 
ancient  Romans.  In  spite  of  the  churches  and 
cathedrals,  Italy,  more  than  almost  any  country 
in  the  world,  may  be  said  to  be  the  land  of  no 
religion.  The  people,  especially  the  men,  have 
largely  broken  away  from  the  ancient  Church, 
and  few  have  found  anchorage  elsewhere.  The 
Quirinal  and  the  Vatican  have  long  been  at 
odds  with  each  other,  and  the  political  situation 
has  tended  for  many  years  to  discredit  the 
Roman  Catholic  Church ;  while  Protestantism 
in  many  parts  of  Italy,  even  when  established, 
has  not  exhibited  the  vitality  and  aggressive- 
ness which  it  shows  in  many  other  lands. 

The  Roman  Catholic  faith  is  still  nominally 
the  state  religion,  but,  since  the  establishment 
of  the  kingdom,  there  has  been  a  large  degree 
of  religious  liberty.  Until  the  j^ear  1870  it 
meant  imprisonment  to  preach  the  Gospel  in 
Rome,  and  the  Bible  was  a  forbidden  book. 
There  are  still  many  worshippers  of  the  Virgin 
Mary  and  the  saints,  and  the  common  people 
know  little  about   the   Lord  Jesus  Christ  who 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  ITALY  37 

died  for  them.  One  of  the  most  sacred  objects 
in  Italy  is  tlie  "  Holy  Bambino,"  a  wooden  image 
of  the  Child  Jesus,  supposed  to  have  been  carved 
from  the  true  cross.  It  is  dressed  in  costly 
raiment,  adorned  with  jewels,  and  wears  a 
crown  on  its  head.  At  the  Christmas  season 
this  doll  is  displayed  for  ten  days,  and  many 
believe  that  to  look  at  it,  or  to  touch  it,  will 
cure  their  children  of  any  illness.  And  this  is 
only  one  example  of  the  beliefs  of  many  Italian 
peasants,  and  of  the  only  religion  they  know. 

Visitors  to  Rome  always  go  to  see  the  Scala  The  Scala 
Sancta,  or  Holy  Stairs,  said  to  have  been  ^*°'^**- 
brought  from  Jerusalem  to  Rome.  At  any 
time  the  penitents  may  be  seen  going  up  these 
stairs  on  their  knees,  repeating  a  prayer  on 
each  stair,  believing  that  by  so  doing  they  may 
obtain  so  many  days  of  deliverance  from  Pur- 
gatory for  themselves  or  their  friends.  Until 
they  are  educated  and  taught  a  better  way, 
many  thousands  of  the  people  of  Italy  will  con- 
tinue to  hold  such  beliefs. 

The  Roman  Catholic  Church  of  Italy  is  still  The  Catho- 
a  church  of  wealth  and  splendor.     It  holds  the  i^s^iost Its 
key  to  the  art  treasures  of  the  world.     It  re-  hold  on 
tains  the  love  of  many  devout  souls,  especially  ^^^^' 
among   the  women.     Many  of   its   priests  and 
higher   dignitaries   are   pure,    noble,   self-sacri- 
ficing men ;  but  the  fact  cannot  be  winked  out 
of  sight  that,  by  reason  of  its  superstitions,  its 
empty  ceremonials,  and  its  failure  to  appeal  to 


38  TUE   GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 

reason,  it  has  lost  its  hold  upon  a  multitude  of 
people,  and  that  tliese  have  for  the  most  part 
become  Agnostics  and  Nothingarians,  and  that 
in  many  respects  their  last  estate  is  worse  than 
their  first. 
The  It  is  necessary  then  that  some  impulse  from 

Waidenses.  ^yi^j^oj^t  should  reach  the  hearts  of  the  people, 
should  reorganize  in  their  communities  the 
forms  of  religion,  and  inspire  them  with  the 
living  spirit  of  Christ.  This  can  be  done  in 
a  large  measure  through  the  Waidenses,  who 
amidst  all  the  persecutions  and  turmoil  of  their 
eventful  histor}^  have  never  lost  their  first  love. 
But  there  is  also  ample  opportunity  for  the 
missionary  boards  from  America  and  Great 
Britain,  which,  as  we  shall  see,  have  already 
done  a  noble  work  in  the  peninsula,  to  do  a 
still  greater  work  in  the  coming  days,  in  the 
establishment  of  the  pure,  simple,  and  unadul- 
terated religion  of  Jesus  Christ. 

The  Story  of  the  Waidenses 

Who  are  the  The  Waldenses  are  a  small  community  of 
Waidenses?  j^f^ii^n  people,  from  twenty-five  to  thirty  thou- 
sand in  number,  many  of  them  peasants,  who 
dwell  in  the  valleys  of  the  Cottian  Alps,  in 
northwestern  Italy,  near  the  borders  of  France. 
But  though  few  in  numbers,  it  has  been  said  of 
them  that  "  both  the  Christian  Church  and  the 
world  would  be  poorer  to-day  but  for  the  ex- 


rilE  GOSPEL   IN  ITALY  39 

istence  and  extraordinary  history  of  this  '  little 
flock.'  They  have  been  called  'The  Israel  of 
the  Alps,'  and,  in  many  features,  their  story  is 
not  unlike  that  of  God's  ancient  people." 

The  tourist  in  Italy  who  omits  from  his  TheVaudois 
itinerary  a  visit  to  the  Waldensian  valleys  "^^^^^y^- 
misses  a  very  picturesque  part  of  Italy,  as  well 
as  an  acquaintance  with  a  heroic  and  inter- 
esting people.  There  are  many  little  valleys  in 
these  western  Alps,  with  Monte  Viso  looking 
down  upon  them,  like  another  Mont  Blanc,  and 
nearly  as  high  as  that  mountain ;  but  there  are 
three  principal  valleys  called  the  Valley  of  the 
Luserna  and  the  Pellice,  the  Valley  of  An- 
grogna,  and  the  Valley  of  San  Martino.  The 
scenery  is  wonderfully  picturesque  and  beau- 
tiful, and  the  people,  with  their  marvellous 
history  of  heroic  adherence  to  the  faith,  are 
even  more  interesting  than  their  mountains. 

The  Waldensian  Church  claims  to  be  the  The  oldest 
oldest  Protestant  Church,  and  the  only  one  church"* 
that  has  never  been  reformed,  since  they  have 
always  held  a  pure  faith.  It  has  often  been 
stated  that  they  originated  in  the  twelfth  cen- 
tury, and  were  followers  of  Peter  Waldo,  a 
native  of  Lyons  in  France.  They  themselves, 
however,  claim  that  their  origin  was  much 
earlier  than  this,  and  that  when  the  followers 
of  Peter  Waldo  fled  from  persecution  to  these 
valleys,  they  found  men  who  professed  the  same 
faith  already  living  there,  who  gladly  welcomed 


40  THE  GOSPEL  IN  LATIN  LANDS 

and  sheltered  them,  and  who  were  afterward 
called  by  the  same  name.  They  believe  that 
their  Church  originated  in  a  strong  opposi- 
tion to  the  growing  errors  of  the  papacy,  and 
that  in  these  Alpine  vallej's  were  found  the 
only  survivors  of  many  so-called  "  heretical 
sects,"  who  from  the  early  ages  had  protested 
against  the  error,  of  the  Romish  Church,  all 
the  rest  having  been  exterminated  by  the  In- 
quisition. To  Claude  of  Turin,  who  was  ap- 
pointed bishop  about  the  year  815,  and  to 
Arnold  of  Brescia  (1105-55),  and  to  Peter 
Waldo  of  Lyons,  they  give  the  title  of  Founders 
of  the  Waldensian  Church. 
Peter  Peter  Waldo  was  a  wealthy  merchant  who 

lived  in  the  city  of  Lj^ons  in  France  in  the 
latter  half  of  the  twelfth  century.  We  know 
almost  nothing  of  his  early  life  until  the  year 
1173,  when  a  friend  with  whom  he  was  talking 
one  day  suddenly  dropped  dead  at  his  side.  It 
was  a  great  shock  to  Waldo,  and  led  him  to 
consider  his  own  condition.  "  Supposing  this 
had  happened  to  me,"  he  thought,  "  where 
would  my  soul  be  now  ? "  He  felt  that  this 
question  must  be  settled  once  for  all ;  but  where 
should  he  look  for  help,  for  there  was  much 
wickedness  in  the  Church  itself  ?  He  listened 
earnestly  to  those  parts  of  the  Gospel  that  were 
read  at  mass  in  church  ;  but  not  understanding 
much  of  the  Latin,  he  emploj^ed  some  priests  to 
translate  parts  of  the  Bible,  at  his  expense,  and 


Waldo. 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  ITALY  41 

these  he  studied  diligentl}'.  One  Sunday  he 
heard  a  street  minstrel  singing  the  story  of  St. 
Alexius,  who,  for  the  sake  of  his  soul's  salva- 
tion, gave  up  all  his  wealth,  and  was  much 
impressed  by  the  legend.  He  then  went  to  a 
priest  and  inquired,  "  Which  is  the  way  to  "  Which  is 
God  ?  "  The  priest  began  to  discourse  of  easy  goV?"^  ° 
ways  and  hard  ways,  of  sure  ways  and  uncer- 
tain ways.  "  But  I  want  the  surest  and  perfect 
way,"  said  Peter.  Then  said  the  priest,  "If 
thou  dost  wish  to  be  perfect,  go,  sell  what  thou 
hast  and  give  it  to  the  poor."  He  took  the 
words  literally  and  began  to  act  upon  them  at 
once.  He  paid  all  his  debts  and,  dividing  his 
possessions  into  two  parts,  gave  his  wife  her 
choice.  She  chose  the  estate,  and  he  divided  his 
ready  money  among  the  poor.  He  then  began  an 
earnest  study  of  the  Bible,  engaging  some  priests 
to  translate  for  him  the  Psalms,  the  Gospels,  and 
some  other  portions  of  the  New  Testament, 
much  of  which  he  committed  to  memory. 

Peter  Waldo  so  studied  his  Bible  that  he  was  Waldo's 
not  content  simply  to  save  his  own  soul,  but,  '"'^^"^" 
yearning  to  save  other  souls,  he  soon  began  re- 
peating and  explaining  passages  of  Scripture  to 
the  poor  people  who  thronged  to  listen  to  him. 
As  he  continued  these  talks,  more  and  more 
people  came  to  listen,  and  after  a  time  he  be- 
gan to  speak  protests  against  the  wrong  lives 
of  many  who  called  themselves  Christians,  and 
to  urge  all  to  repent  of  sin  and  turn  to  God. 


42  THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 

"The  It  was   not   long   before   the   archbishop  of 

of^L  n ""  Ly^ns  heard  of  this  preaching  and  forbade  it ; 
but  Waldo  continued  his  work,  and  sent  forth 
his  followers  in  all  directions  to  preach  the  true 
Gospel  everywhere.  Soon  Waldo  and  his  fol- 
lowers were  excommunicated,  and  the  "  Poor 
Men  of  Lyons,"  as  they  called  themselves,  were 
labelled  heretics,  and  were  compelled  to  flee 
from  their  homes.  Some  of  them  joined  the 
Albigenses  in  southern  France,  others  fled  to 
Switzerland,  Spain,  and  the  valleys  of  Pied- 
mont, while  still  others,  with  Waldo  their 
leader,  took  refuge  in  Bohemia,  where  he  died 
in  1197. 

After  Waldo's  death  the  work  still  went  on, 
and  his  followers  greatly  increased  in  the  south 
of  F'rance,  in  Germany,  in  Bohemia,  and  in 
Lombardy.  Toward  the  end  of  the  year  1207 
a  great  persecution  began  under  Pope  Innocent 
III.  In  the  south  of  France  whole  villages 
were  destroyed,  and  man}^  of  their  inhabitants 
killed.  Of  those  who  were  so  fortunate  as  to 
escape,  many  fled  to  the  Alpine  valleys  between 
France  and  Italy.  Here  they  organized  their 
Church,  whose  polity  was  of  the  Presbyterian 
order,  and  stated  their  doctrines  more  fully. 
Especially  they  emphasized  the  profound  im- 
portance of  the  Word  of  God.  Some  of  their 
favorite  sayings  were  :  "  The  Scripture  speaks 
and  we  ought  to  believe  it";  "Every  one 
ought  to  believe,  for  the  Gospel  has  spoken." 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  ITALY  43 

They  memorized  many  passages  of  Scripture, 
and  there  were  many  among  them  who  coukl 
recite  whole  Gospels.  Thus,  during  the  Dark 
Ages,  when  the  Bible  had  almost  disappeared 
from  homes  and  churches  all  over  Europe,  the 
Waldenses  preserved  in  their  valleys  a  pure  Early 
form  of  the  Christian  religion,  and  from  these      ^ 


missiona- 


valleys  they  had  begun  to  send  out  missiona-  ries. 
ries  even  before  the  time  of  the  Reformation. 
These  missionaries  were  sent  out  two  by  two, 
an  older  man  and  a  younger  one  together,  and 
were  expected  to  be  gone  about  two  years  be- 
fore returning  home,  unless,  as  too  often  hap- 
pened, they  were  detected  and  put  to  death 
before  their  mission  was  ended.  These  mis- 
sionaries went  throughout  all  Italy,  and  even 
their  enemies  testified  to  the  success  of  their 
work.  Dr.  Teofilo  Gay,  in  his  account  of  the 
Waldenses,  quotes  the  following  extract  from 
an  official  report  of  one  of  the  Inquisitors  sent 
out  against  them : 

"  They  can  be  recognized  by  their  dress,  and  by  their   What  their 
addresses.     They  are  modest  and  avoid  hixury  in  dress,    ^'^f'^i^s 
wearing  cloth  neither  costly  nor  common.     They  live  of   tj^gm 
the  labor  of  their  hands.     They  make  no  treasures,  be- 
ing satisfied  with  the  necessities  of  life.     They  are  chaste 
and  sober,  and  do  not  frequent  wine  shops  or  ball  rooms, 
because  they  take  no  delight   in    such  vanities.     They 
abstain  from  anger.     In  their  words  they  are  exact  and 
modest,    and    they   abstain    from    any  gossip   or   loose 
speech,  as  well  as  from  lying.     They  do  not  swear,  nor 
even  add  to  their  words  the  expression  'verily'  or  'cer- 


44  THE  GOSPEL  IN  LATIN  LANDS 

tainly.'  They  translate  into  vulgar  language  the  Old 
Testament  and  the  New.  I  have  myself  seen  and  heard 
a  peasant  who  repeated  from  memory  word  for  word  the 
whole  book  of  Job,  and  I  have  known  others  who  knew 
perfectly  the  whole  New  Testament.  It  is  easier  to  find 
among  the  Waldenses  people  who  can  rej^eat  the  whole 
text  of  the  Holy  Scriptures  than  to  find  among  us  a 
doctor  who  can  say  three  chapters." 

From  the  report  of  another  Inquisitor  we 
learn  how  these  early  Waldenses  carried  on 
their  missionary  work. 

Their  '*  They  would  travel,"  he  says,  "  as  pedlers,  selling  silks 

missionary  ^nd  pearls,  rings  and  veils.  After  a  purchase  has  been 
made,  if  the  pedler  be  asked,  '  Have  you  anything  else  to 
sell? '  he  answers,  '  I  have  jewels  more  precious  than  these 
things ;  I  would  give  them  to  you  if  you  promise  not 
to  betray  me  to  the  clergy.'  On  getting  the  promise,  he 
says,  '  I  have  a  pearl  so  brilliant  that  you  can  learn  by  it 
to  love  God ;  I  have  another  so  splendid  that  it  kindles 
the  love  of  God,'  and  so  on.  Next  he  quotes  such  a 
Scripture  passage  as  this:  'Woe  unto  you  that  devour 
widows'  houses!'  and  when  asked  to  whom  these  de- 
nunciations apply,  he  replies,  '  To  the  priests  and 
monks.'  Then  he  contrasts  the  Catholic  Church  with  his 
own.  '  Your  doctors  are  ostentatious  in  manners  and 
dress ;  they  love  the  highest  seats  at  table,  and  desire  to 
be  called  masters ;  but  our  ministers  are  not  such  masters. 
Your  priests  are  unchaste  ;  but  each  one  of  us  has  his 
wife  with  whom  we  live  chastely.  They  fight  and  kill 
and  burn  the  poor ;  we,  on  the  contrary,  endure  persecu- 
tion for  righteousness'  sake.*  After  some  such  address, 
the  heretic  adds,  'Examine  and  consider  which  is  the 
more  perfect  religion  and  the  purest  faith,  whether  ours 
or  that  of  the  Romish  Church.'  And  thus  the  hearer 
being  turned  from  the  Catholic  faith  by  such  errors,  for- 
sakes us." 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  ITALY  45 

This  work  of  the  Waklensian  missionaries  is 
also  described  in  Whittier's  beautiful  poem, 
"The  Vaudois  Teacher." 

But  their  faithful  lives  brought  upon  the  Wal-  Perse- 
denses  still  more  severe  persecutions  as  the  years  '^"*^'^"^- 
and  the  centuries  went  by,  though  there  were 
occasional  intervals  when  for  a  few  years  they 
were  left  in  peace.  From  the  thirteenth  to  the 
sixteenth  century  the  messengers  of  the  Inqui- 
sition were  sent  many  times  to  the  Waldensian 
valleys  to  extirpate  these  heretics.  No  less 
than  thirty-three  separate  persecutions  are  re- 
corded in  the  Waldensian  annals,  yet,  through 
all  the  centuries,  they  remain  faithful.  Many 
were  burnt  alive  ;  some  were  doomed  to  the 
galleys  for  life  ;  some  were  murdered  in  their 
own  homes,  and  many  fled  for  refuge  to  the 
snow-covered  mountains. 

On  Christmas  day,  in  the  year  1400,  as  the  a  Christmas 
Waldenses  were  celebrating  the  birth  of  our  persecution. 
Lord,  a  great  army  was  seen  coming  against 
them,  and  they  fled  to  the  mountains.  Many 
were  overtaken  and  killed  ;  those  who  reached 
the  summit  were  obliged  to  camp  there  for  the 
night;  but  the  bitter  cold  was  too  much  for 
them,  and  the  next  morning  it  was  found  that 
more  than  fifty  infants  had  frozen  to  death  in 
their  mothers'  arms.  When  at  last  the  troops 
left  and  tlie  Waldenses  returned  to  their 
valleys,  tliey  found  their  homes  plundered  and 
burnt.     Sometimes  they  made  a  stand  against 


46  THE  GOSPEL  IN  LATIN  LANDS 

their  enemies,  and  sometimes  tliey  were  able  to 
repulse  them;  but  the  intervals  of  peace  were 
few  and  far  between,  and  always  new  armies 
were  sent  out  against  them. 

In    the    sixteenth    century    the    Waldenses 
joined  the  movement  of  the  Reformation,  which 
for  a  time  made   great   progress  in  Piedmont 
and  in  the  valleys.     In  1655  occurred  what  is 
"The  now  remembered  as  "  The  Piedmontese  Easter," 

Easter°°^^^^  the  treacherous  massacre  of  the  Waldenses  in 
vT         their  valleys,  by  the  order  of   Pope    Innocent 
^  (^''f    X.  and  Duke  Charles  Emanuel  II.  of  Savoy. 
f/^\^,^^  On  the  eve  of  Palm  Sunday,  April  17,  a  hostile 

army  attacked  Torre  Pellice,  and  the  Waldenses 
were  forced  to  retreat  after  fighting  bravely 
for  their  homes.  An  army  of  fifteen  thousand 
men  was  then  sent  against  them,  but  the  little 
company  of  Waldenses  in  their  mountain  fast- 
nesses was  able  to  repel  them.  Then  treachery 
was  resorted  to,  and  the  Waldensian  leaders 
were  invited  to  meet  the  enemy  at  Torre  Pel- 
lice  to  discuss  terms  of  a  truce.  Being  anx- 
ious for  peace,  they  agreed  to  the  demand  that 
troops  should  be  stationed  in  the  valleys,  and 
before  Easter  eve  there  were  detachments  of 
the  enemy  in  all  the  little  villages.  Early  on 
Saturday  morning  the  signal  was  given,  and  a 
general  massacre  began.  Seven  thousand  Wal- 
denses were  slaughtered  on  that  day,  and  many 
were  tortured  and  murdered  with  the  most  bar- 
barous cruelty. 


THE    GOSPEL   IN  ITALY  47 

At  last  the  story  of  their  dreadful  sufferings 
reached  Protestant  Europe,  and  much  indigna- 
tion was  aroused.  Cromwell  sent  a  strong  let- 
ter of  protest  to  Louis  XIV.,  and  even  threat- 
ened the  pope  that  if  the  persecution  were  not 
stopped,  his  capital  would  be  bombarded,  and 
this  led  to  a  peace  which  lasted  thirty  years. 
But  again  the  persecutions  began,  and  though 
the  Waldenses  made  heroic  resistance,  it  availed 
them  little,  and  at  last  in  1686  they  were  driven 
out  from  their  homes  and  their  country,  and  Waldensian 
compelled  to  take  refuge  in  Switzerland.  Tliey 
were  welcomed  and  protected  there,  but  they 
could  not  be  contented  to  live  in  a  foreign  land, 
and  after  three  years  they  determined  to  re- 
turn to  their  beloved  valleys,  which  were  "  to 
them  a  holy  land,  every  peak  and  cave  and  glen 
sacred  by  some  scene  of  valor  or  of  martyr- 
dom." We  give  below  an  account  of  this 
journey,  which  is  still  celebrated  by  the  Wal- 
denses as  "  The  Glorious  Return,"  condensed 
from  the  Story  of  the  Waldenses  by  Rev. 
Teofilo  Gay,  D.D. : 

"It  had  been  decided  that  they  should  assemble  after   "The 
sunset  on  the  15  of  August,  168!),  near  Nyou,  on  Lake    Glorious 
Geneva.     Every  one   did  the  best   he   could  to  secure         ^^^' 
some  supply  for  the  wants  of  his  poor  family,  which  he 
was  to  leave  in  exile,  while  he  went  to  win  back  for  them 
the  land  of  their  fathers.     They  must  assemble  secretly, 
since  the  Swiss  and  German  Protestants,  who  had  wel- 
comed and  sheltered  them,  had  been  pledged  not  to  let 
them  return.     Marching  by  night  and  sleeping  by  day, 


48  THE  GOSPEL   IiV  LATIN  LANDS 

they  carefully  avoided  appearing  iu  numerous  groups. 
They  met  one  another  without  speaking;  a  significant 
look  sufficed  to  make  them  understand  one  another. 
They  were,  moreover,  unacquainted  with  the  plan  of  the 
expedition,  or  the  place  and  hour  of  rendezvous,  but  at 
last  a  little  company  of  nine  hundred  gathered  at  the  ap- 
pointed place.  It  took  them  a  fortnight  to  walk  across 
Savoy  to  Piedmont.  At  one  time  by  night,  says  Arnaud, 
their  heroic  captain  and  pastor,  in  his  journal, '  we  crossed 
a  pass  cut  out  of  the  rock  like  a  ladder,  where  twenty  men 
could  easily  have  checked  twenty  thousand;  and  then 
descended  by  each  man  sitting  or  lying  on  his  back,  and 
so  sliding  down  the  precipice.'  The  next  day  the  course 
lay  over  a  ridge  of  Mont  Blanc,  knee-deep  in  snow,  with 
the  rain  pouring  over  their  backs.  They  marched  in  con- 
tinual expectation  of  a  bloody  action,  for  they  knew  that 
there  were  fortifications  in  their  way  where  thirty  men 
might  not  only  have  checked  but  defeated  them.  But 
the  Eternal,  who  was  ever  with  them,  permitted  them  to 
find  these  fortifications  unguarded.  On  the  Piedmontese 
side  of  the  mountain,  behind  the  mountain  that  separated 
them  yet  from  their  own  valleys,  they  met  a  French  army 
sent  against  them  by  Louis  XIV.,  and  defeated  them. 
When  the  conflict  was  ended  they  all  assembled  for  prayer, 
and  then,  although  overwhelmed  by  fatigue,  set  out  at 
once  to  climb  the  mountain  which  still  separated  them 
from  their  valleys.  This  had  to  be  done  by  moonlight. 
The  men  were  constantly  falling  asleep  on  the  road,  and 
in  spite  of  every  effort  to  rouse  them,  eighty  men  were 
left  behind.  At  last  on  September  first,  with  their  num- 
bers reduced  to  seven  hundred,  they  held  a  solemn  con- 
secration service  on  a  hill  overlooking  Val  Luserna  —  a 
spot  still  held  specially  sacred.  There  they  vowed  to  die 
rather  than  yield,  and  to  be  faithful  to  each  otlier  and 
to  God  iu  the  effort  to  reestablish  the  religion  of  their 
fathers  iu  the  valleys." 


the  Lord 
aud  in  the 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  ITALY  49 

In  this  manner  they  made  the  journey,  under 
the  lead  of  that  stalwart  Christian  warrior  and 
pastor,  the  Rev.  Henri  Arnaud,  and  in  this 
spirit  they  set  themselves  to  establish  once 
more  their  homes  and  tlieir  religion  in  the  land 
of  their  fathers. 

"  Notwitlistanding  all  their  hard  trials,"  says  their  his-  "  Stron 
torian,  "  they  never  ceased,  among  the  rocks  or  in  the 
forests,  regularly  to  observe  the  sacrament  of  the  Supper,  p„^ver  of 
and  in  camp  or  on  the  march  to  unite  in  prayer  to  God.  His  might 
And  certainly  it  was  God  who  supported  them,  for  to  aU 
appearaiice  nothing  but  destruction  awaited  them.  With 
nothing  sometimes  but  a  few  roots  to  eat,  they  endured 
fatigues  which  would  have  required  the  strength  of  giants. 
And  in  the  end  ten  thousand  French  and  twelve  thou- 
sand Sardinians  were  baffled  by  this  handful  of  heroes, 
clothed  in  rags,  and  subsisting  on  the  fare  of  anchorites." 

But  happier  days  were  coming  for  this  brave 
people.  Victor  Amadeus  of  Sardinia  broke  off 
his  alliance  with  the  French,  and  offered  to  the 
Waldenses  peace  and  restoration  to  their  homes 
if  they  would  defend  the  valleys  from  the  French 
—  an  offer  which  they  gladly  accepted.  Their 
families  soon  returned  to  them  from  Switzer- 
land, and  the  days  of  their  bloody  persecutions 
were  ended,  though  for  many  years  after  this 
they  were  obliged  to  submit  to  all  kinds  of  un- 
just edicts  and  restrictions  in  their  worship.  In 
1848,  Charles  Albert,  the  great-grandfather  of 
the  present  king  of  Italy,  by  his  Edict  of  Eman-  Religious 
cipation,  gave  to  them  freedom  to  worship  God  ^^^^'lo^^- 
according  to  their  own  conscience.     The   two 


50  THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 

dates  now  most  gratefully  remembered  by  the 
Waldenses  are  the  date  of  "  The  Glorious  Re- 
turn," in  1689,  and  that  of  the  Edict  of  Eman- 
cipation in  1848. 

When  these  bravo  people  found  themselves 
at  last  free  to  worship  God  according  to  their 
own  faith,  they  began  again  their  missionary 
work,  sending  out  their  ministers  through  all 
the  land,  from  Turin  to  Sicily,  and  from  that 
day  to  this  they  have  kept  alive  a  pure  form  of 
the  Christian  faith  in  Italy. 
The  present  The  Waldensian  Church  has  to-day  seventeen 
w^'i^  °^  *|^®  parishes  in  the  Waldensian  valleys,  at  Pinerolo, 
and  at  Turin.  They  ha vejorty-f our  settled  con- 
gregations, and  sixty-five  missionary  stations  in 
all  parts  of  Italy,  which  they  look  upon  as  their 
Home  Missionary  field.  They  have  also  a  strong 
theological  seminary  in  Florence,  which  is  send- 
ing forth  every  year  new  ministers  and  mission- 
aries. Their  foreign  missionaries  have  organ- 
ized no  less  than  seven  churches  among  the 
Italians  who  have  emigrated  to  the  two  Ameri- 
cas, as  well  as  some  among  Waldensian  colonists 
in  Germany.  They  have  under  their  care  fifty- 
six  day  schools,  with  nearly  three  thousand 
pupils,  and  fifty-four  Sabbath-schools,  with  an 
attendance  of  nearly  four  thousand.  As  they 
themselves  have  not  the  means  to  carry  on  all 
the  missionary  work  which  awaits  them,  they 
ask  for  aid  from  Christians  of  other  lands  Avho 
would  like  to  help  them  in  the  work  of  evangel- 


work. 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  ITALY  51 

izing  Italy,  and  they  present  these  four  reasons 
why  their  work  should  be  supported: 

"  1.   Because  Romanism  is  doing  so  much  mischief  in    Reasons  for 
our  own  country,  and  it  is  important  that  the  evil  should    helping  the 
be  met  at  the  fountain-head  in   Rome  by  the  Gospel, 
which  is  the  power  of  God  unto  Salvation,  to  every  one 
that  believeth. 

"  2.  Because  the  Waldensian  Church,  being  the  Ancient 
Evangelical  Church  of  Italy,  has  been  preserved  by  God 
and  prepared  for  this  special  mission,  and  He  appears  so 
clearly  to  have  jiut  His  seal  on  their  work. 

"  3.  Because  their  Evangelists  —  being  natives  of  Italy, 
and  also  men  of  piety  and  sound  doctrine  —  are  peculiarly 
fitted  for  the  work. 

"4.  Because  the  Waldensian  Church,  although  rich  in 
men,  is  wholly  destitute  of  pecuniary  means,  and  there- 
fore appeals  for  help,  w^ithout  which  the  work  cannot  be 
carried  on." 


TJie  Italian  Free  Church  has  also  done  a  good  The  Italian 

Free 
Church. 


work  for  Italy  in  the  past,  and  has  trained  in  ^^^^ 


the  faith  many  who  had  left  Romanism  and 
were  looking  for  a  purer  and  more  reasonable 
religion.  The  work  of  this  Church  has,  how- 
ever, of  late,  been  merged  in  the  work  of  other 
denominations,  chiefly  that  of  the  Methodists 
and  the  Waldenses. 

Little  Italy 

Before  leaving  the  subject  of  the  Waldensian  Italians  in 
work,  we  may  well  give  a  little  thought  to  the     "i®^^^*- 
work  they  are  doing  for  us  in  America.     So  many 
Italians  have  settled   in  our  large  cities,  that 


52 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 


Our  Home 
Missionary 
work  for 
Italians. 


already  there  is  one  "  Little  Ital}^ "  in  New 
York,  another  in  Boston,  and  others  in  many 
of  our  large  cities.  It  is  estimated  that  there 
are  now  more  than  four  hundred  thousand  iu 
New  York  City  alone  ;  Philadelphia  has  one 
hundred  and  twenty-three  thousand,  and  Bos- 
ton, forty  thousand. 

Many  of  these  Italians  go  back  to  Italy  after 
a  few  years  in  this  country  :  some  to  remain  and 
spend  in  their  own  land  the  money  they  have 
earned  here,  and  others  to  come  back  again  with 
their  wives  and  children  and  make  their  homes 
among  us.  Though  these  people  have  come  to 
us  from  a  Catholic  country,  yet  many  of  them 
have  forsaken  their  own  Church,  and,  unless  we 
teach  them  something  better,  are  in  danger  of 
having  no  religion  at  all.  The  love  of  Christ 
constrains  us  to  lead  these  people  to  a  pure 
Christian  faith. 

The  Home  Missionary  Societies  of  all  our 
leading  denominations  are  already  providing 
places  of  worship,  and  missionaries  to  labor 
among  them.  As  an  example  of  what  is  be- 
ing done,  a  recent  writer  on  this  subject  says, 
"  The  Italian  Church  in  Broome  St.  Taber- 
nacle, Presbyterian,  New  York  City,  is  probably 
the  mother  of  fourteen  Italian  missions  in  the 
United  States  and  two  in  Italy."  Such  facts 
as  this  show  how  Home  and  Foreign  Missions 
supplement  each  other,  and  the  need  of  helping 
the  Protestant  work   in   Ital}',  if  only  for  the 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  ITALY  53 

sake  of  our  own  country,  which  will  surely  feel 
the  reflex  influence  of  such  work.  In  fact,  it 
has  already  become  plain  that  the  Avork  for 
Italians  in  this  country  can  be  done  much 
better  by  consecrated  educated  Italians  ;  and 
though  some  effort  has  been  made  by  Pres- 
byterians and  Baptists,  and  by  such  institu- 
tions as  the  American  International  College  at 
Springfield,  Mass.,  to  train  up  Italian  leaders  Waidensian 
for  this  work,  yet  much  of  it  has  been  done,  ^^^g^rica" 
and  must  be  done,  by  those  who  have  already 
been  educated  and  trained  for  such  work 
in  Italy.  Some  such  men  have  already  been 
brought  to  America  for  this  purpose,  and  a 
number  of  consecrated  Waidensian  pastors, 
members  of  that  Church  which  has  for  so  many 
centuries  suffered  for  the  faith,  are  already 
doing  good  work  in  our  own  country  for  the 
coming  Italian  citizens  of  these  United  States. 

T^ie  3Iethod{st  Episcopal  Church 

The  Methodist  Church  began  work  in  Italy  Beginning. 
in  1871,  under  Dr.  Leroy  Vernon,  at  first  in 
Bologna  and  Modena,  and  later  in  llavenna, 
Florence,  and  other  Italian  cities.  In  1873  a 
beginning  was  made  in  Rome,  in  a  small  hall 
near  the  old  Roman  Forum,  not  far  from  the 
INIamertine  Prison,  where  tradition  says  that 
St.  Paul  was  imprisoned.  There  was  at  first 
much  opposition  and  some  persecution,  but  Dr. 


54 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN    LANDS 


Work  of  the 

Woman's 

Board. 


Vernon  persisted ;  other  workers  were  soon 
raised  up,  and  the  work  began  to  grow. 

In  1877  the  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary- 
Society  decided  to  begin  a  work  for  women  in 
Italy,  and  before  long  six  Bible  women  were  at 
work  under  the  supervision  of  Mrs.  Vernon ; 
later  Miss  Emma  Hall  was  sent  out  from  Amer- 
ica to  do  evangelistic  work.  She  directed  the 
Bible  women  in  their  work,  and  visited  the 
homes  with  them,  prepared  lesson  helps  for 
the  Italian  paper  published  by  the  mission,  and 
held  meetings  with  the  women.  When  the 
way  seemed  open  for  it,  in  1888,  a  home  and 
orphanage  were  established,  which  later  de- 
veloped into  the  Girls'  Home  School,  with  a  fine 
building  which  had  once  been  a  nunnery,  at  the 
west  end  of  the  city.  In  this  school  the  Bible 
is  used  as  a  text-book  and  forms  a  part  of 
the  daily  school  work.  Besides  their  regular 
studies,  the  girls  are  also  taught  sewing,  cook- 
ing, and  other  industrial  work.  At  the  last 
World's  Sunday-school  Convention,  in  Rome, 
one  of  the  addresses  of  welcome  was  given  by 
Miss  Italia  Garibaldi,  a  granddaughter  of  the 
"  Hero  of  the  Red  Shirt,"  a  former  pupil  in  this 
school,  and  a  beautiful  example  of  what  the 
school  has  done  for  many  of  the  daughters  of 
Italy.  Miss  Garibaldi  is  now  in  charge  of  the 
school. 

All  visitors  to  Rome  should  see  the  beauti- 
ful Crandon  Hall  established  by  Miss  M,  Ella 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  ITALY  55 

Vickery  in  1895.  It  is  situated  on  Via  Veneto, 
just  opposite  the  palace  of  Marglierita,  the  Queen 
Mother.  Over  the  front  entrance  one  may  read 
the  letters  W.  F.  M.  S.,  and  witliin  its  walls  may 
be  seen  many  bright,  winsome  Italian  girls,  many 
of  them  daughters  of  prominent  liberals  in 
government  circles  who  are  enjoying  the  privi- 
leges and  opportunities  which  this  school  offers. 
Three  or  four  hundred  of  these  young  girls 
gather  here  from  year  to  year  and  receive  a 
careful  training  in  the  things  which  belong  to 
the  kingdom,  as  well  as  a  secular  education  of  a 
high  grade.  It  is  interesting  to  learn  that 
twelve  of  the  faculty  of  this  institution  have 
chosen  Christian  education  as  a  life  work,  and 
are  members  of  the  Italian  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  while  five  belong  to  the  Waldensian 
Church.  The  boarding  pupils  are  required  to 
attend  morning  and  evening  prayers,  Bible 
classes,  and  Sabbath  services,  in  an  evangelical 
church,  while  the  day  pupils  attend  chapel  and 
join  in  the  Lord's  Prayer.  Already  many  ear- 
nest Christian  workers  have  gone  forth  from 
this  school,  which  is  becoming  more  and  more 
a  power  for  good,  not  only  in  Rome  but  in  other 
parts  of  Italy. 

The  work  of  this  board  has  now  spread  to  all  Methodist 

parts  of  Italy.     The  latest  report  tells  of  three  ^°^'^  ^^ 

•     •  •  1     1     •         •  •       x^  1   r.         Rome, 

missionaries  and  their  wives  in  Kome,  and  five 

single  ladies.     There  is  also  in  that  city  a  boys' 

college,  a  theological  school,  and  a  publishing 


56  THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 

house  under  the  care  of  the  general  board,  and  the 
Isabella  Creche  under  the  Woman's  Society. 

There  is  an  Industrial  Institute  in  Venice, 
and  there  are  churches  and  Sunday-scliools  and 
day  schools  under  the  care  of  Italian  pastors 
in  Genoa,  Milan,  Naples,  Pisa,  Turin,  Bologna, 
Florence,  Pistoia,  Venice,  and  many  other  cities. 
Bishop  Burt  has  the  general  supervision  of  the 
whole  work.  A  recent  writer,  in  speaking  of 
this  work,  after  describing  the  churches,  some 
of  them  handsome  buildings,  in  many  parts  of 
Italy  and  Sicily,  says: 

"  Our  position  in  Rome,  however,  is  that  which  of  ne- 
cessity gives  prestige  and  assurance  to  our  work  in  Italy. 
Our  plant  in  this  capital  centre,  by  its  appearance  and 
appointments,  makes  it  clear  to  the  impressible  and  ob- 
serving Italians  that  we  are  among  them  to  stay,  and 
stay,  too,  to  busy  ourselves  for  their  betterment,  with 
a  steadily  increasing  aggressiveness.  Dr.  Burt,  with  a 
statesman's  forethought,  saw  that  a  people  whose  reli- 
gious history  had  for  centuries  been  associated  with  build- 
ings of  imposing  proportions  and  architectural  beauty, 
must  be  allowed  to  suffer  no  revulsion  of  feeling  when 
they  come  to  gaze  upon  the  structure  in  which  the  head- 
quarters of  our  administration  is  housed.  And  so  his 
initial  and  successful  efforts  were  directed  toward  the 
erection  of  an  edifice  both  commanding  and  attractive, 
upon  one  of  the  most  conspicuous  and  strategic  corners  in 
the  city.  The  lot  is  one  hundred  and  fifty-five  feet  deep, 
with  a  front  of  ninety-three  feet  upon  the  Via  Venti 
Settembre.  This  is,  in  some  respects,  the  most  important 
street  of  the  city,  running  along  the  ridge  of  the  Quirinal 
Hill.  On  it  are  the  principal  department  buildings  of  1  he 
government,  and  also  tlie  Royal  Palace.     Through  it  the 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  ITALY  57 

Italians  came  when  they  entered  Rome,  September  20, 
1870,  thus  taking  possession  of  the  Papal  States.  Upon 
this  thoroughfare,  adjoining  the  headquarters  of  the  War 
Department,  stands  our  mission  building,  tall  and  massive, 
holding  its  own  in  proportion  and  elegance  with  the 
architectural  triumphs  all  about  it  —  a  building  of  which 
every  Protestant  who  sees  it  is  justly  proud." 

Speaking  of  the  work  of  Crandon  Hall,  this 
same  writer  says : 

"  All  about  this  institution  are  the  rival  schools  of  the    Italian 
nuns,  oifering  better  accommodations  and  at  lower  prices;    testimony 
calumny,  too,  of  all  sorts,  has  not  been  sparing.     And  yet     °     ^  ^°^  ' 
further,  the  Jesuits  have  organized  a  society  with  the 
blessing  of  the  pope,  and  with  special  indulgences  granted 
to  the  zealous  who  will  work  for  the  destruction  of  Cran- 
don Hall.     But  all  to  no  purpose ;  the  college  has  gained 
in  every  way,  and  never  were  its  prospects  brighter.   The 
officials  of  the  government  of  Italy  have  not  hesitated  to 
express  their  hearty  approval  of  its  plan  and  woi-k,  as  a 
school  where  their  daughters  might  receive  the  highest 
cultui'e  and  be  taught  the  princijiles  of  religion,  without 
absorbing  that  hatred  of  New  Italy  so  artfully  instilled 
into  their  hearts  by  nuns,  embittered  by  the  overthrow 
of  the  papal  power." 

This  board  has  mission  stations  in  forty  cities 
and  towns  of  Italy,  with  forty-six  Italian  pastors, 
seventy  Italian  teachers,  forty-six  Sabbath- 
schools,    and   a   large    church   membership. 

The  Southern  Baptist   Convention 

The  Southern  Baptists  are  also  doing  a  good  Baptist 
work  in  Italy,  with  two  missionaries  and  their  ^ort^g^n 
wives  located  in  Rome  to  direct  the  work,  and 


58 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 


and  south- 
ern Italy. 


with  many  preaching  places  both  in  northern 
and  southern  Italy.  In  northern  Italy  their 
Italian  preachers  and  helpers  may  be  found  in 
San  Remo,  Genoa,  Milan,  Venice,  Ferrara, 
Florence,  Rome,  and  other  cities  ;  in  the  South 
Italian  Mission  the  work  is  carried  on  in  Bari, 
Boscotrecase,  Gravina,  Naples  ;  in  Messina,  Noto, 
and  Palermo  in  Sicily ;  and  in  Cagliari  and  Ig- 
lesias  in  Sardinia.  There  is  also  one  church  in 
Tunis,  North  Africa,  under  the  care  of  this 
mission.  In  their  last  report  a  missionary 
writes : 


South  Ital- 
ian Baptist 
Association. 


"  The  South  Italian  Association  was  organized  and 
held  its  first  session  at  Naples  in  November.  It  proved 
to  be  a  great  success,  and  the  brethren  entered  into  its 
labors  with  much  enthusiasm  and  joy.  The  most  promi- 
nent feature  of  the  meeting  was  the  desire  on  the  part  of 
all  to  make  some  progress  towards  self-support,  which, 
owing  to  the  poverty  of  the  churches  and  the  time-honored 
habits  of  the  people,  has  made  little  advance  hitherto. 
At  least  a  start  has  been  made.  At  Matera  the  church, 
with  the  help  of  its  pastor,  built  a  house  of  worship  dur- 
ing the  summer,  most  of  which  has  been  paid  for  at  great 
sacrifice.  This  worthy  example  will  doubtless  stimulate 
others  to  follow  wherever  it  may  be  possible.  Decided 
and  advanced  ground  was  taken  regarding  the  develop- 
ment of  Sunday-schools,  colportage  work,  women's  work 
in  the  church,  socialism,  primary  education,  and  alcoholic 
drinks. 

"  As  usual,  more  improvement  is  visible  in  some  fields ; 
while  in  others  no  advance  has  been  made,  and  in  still 
a  few  others  a  loss  of  membership  has  been  registered. 
This  is  due,  as  usual,  to  emigration  (mostly  to  America), 
which  continually  robs  us  of  our  yearly  gains." 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  ITALY  59 

An  important  feature  of  the  work  in  the  South 
Italian  Mission  is  the  theological  seminary,  where 
efficient  instructors  are  training  men  for  the 
Christian  ministry.  II  Testimonio^  the  jjaper 
published  by  the  Baptist  Union  of  Italy,  is  issued 
twice  a  month,  and  much  colportage  work  is 
done. 

A  few  words  from  the  last  report  of  Mr.  Gill,  North  itai- 
of  the  North  Italian  Mission,  will  give  a  glimpse  Mission, 
of  the  progress  and  the  problems  there.     He 
speaks  especially  of  the  need  of  good   church 
buildings: 

"  If  we  continue  to  rent  (and  not  buy  oi*  build)  halls  as 
we  have  been  doing,  we  need  not  expect  to  make  much 
impression  on  the  Italian  people.  The  property  question 
is  more  important  to  our  Italian  mission  than  to  any 
other  of  our  fields,  for  architecture  means  more  to  Italians 
than  to  other  peoples.  Italy  has  taught  the  world  archi- 
tecture in  its  places  of  worship.  We  cannot  appear  in- 
different to  that  which  is  so  vital  to  them.  .  .  .  New  and 
beautiful  halls  have  been  procured  for  Florence,  Ferrara, 
and  San  Remo,  and  the  halls  at  Rome  and  Venice  have 
been  improved." 

A  Few   Facts   and   Figures 

North  Italian  Baptist  Mission,  1872-1908  : 

12  churches;  26  mission  stations;  14  Italian  helpers; 
248  church  members. 
South  Italian  Baptist  Mission  : 

14  churches  ;  403  church  members. 
Sicily : 

3  churches  ;  76  church  members. 
Sardinia : 

2  churches;  43  church  members. 


GO 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  LATIN  LANDS 


The  Wesleyan  Methodists  are  also  doing  a 
good  work  in  Italy,  and  especially  in  the  edu- 
cational line  are  showing  a  brotherly  spirit 
of  cooperation  with  the  American  Methodists. 
This  board  began  work  in  1861,  though  it  was 
not  able  to  enter  Rome  until  1871.  The  work 
includes  churches  and  Sunday-schools  and  day 
schools  in  most  of  the  large  cities  of  Italy,  and 
also  much  evangelistic  work  among  Italian 
soldiers. 

The  English  Baptist  Mission  is  also  carry- 
ing a  pure  Gospel  to  the  Italian  people,  and 
works  in  brotherly  sympathy  and  harmony  and 
cooperation  with  the  American  Baptists. 

The  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  is 
active  in  some  of  the  large  cities  of  Italy,  and 
the  Salvation  Army  with  its  militant  "  lads  " 
and  "  lassies  "  carries  on  an  aggressive  work  in 
many  sections. 

There  are  at  least  fourteen  Christian  En- 
deavor Societies,  one  of  the  most  active  and 
flourishing  being  found  in  connection  with  the 
Waldensian  Church  in  Torre  Pellice,  where, 
under  the  guidance  of  the  pastor,  Dr.  C.  A. 
Tron,  a  commodious  building  has  been  erected 
by  the  societ}^,  in  which  to  carry  on  its  meet- 
ings and  other  church  work. 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  ITALY  61 

TRAVELLERS'  GUIDE  TO  MISSIONS  IN  ITALY 

The  Waldensian  Church. 

Headquarters  at  Torre  Pellice,  in  the  Waldensian  val- 
leys, two  hours  from  Turin.  Rev.  C.  A.  Trou,  D.D., 
pastor  of  the  AValdensian  Church,  speaks  English  and  is 
always  ready  to  give  information  in  regard  to  the  work. 
Pension  Bel-Air,  Villa  Olanda,  is  a  very  pleasant  an.d 
comfortable  little  hotel,  picturesquely  situated,  and  rea- 
sonable in  price.  A  week  might  be  spent  in  the  valleys 
very  pleasantly  and  profitably. 

The  Waldensian  Church  has  its  missionary  headquar- 
ters at  Rome,  106  Via  Nazionale,  a  theological  seminary 
in  Florence,  and  Italian  churches  in  most  of  the  cities  of 
Italy.  The  large  ^^'aldensian  Church  in  Turin  is  not 
far  from  the  Central  Railway  Station. 

The  American  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

This  church  has  a  large  work  in  Rome,  with  its  head- 
quarters on  Via  Venti  Settembre,  and  the  Metliodist 
Church  in  Rome  holds  English  services  every  Sunday 
to  which  all  English  and  American  visitors  are  invited. 
This  denomination  has  also  Italian  churches  under  its 
care  in  most  of  the  large  cities  of  Italy,  from  Turin  to 
Naples  and  Sicily. 

The  Southern  Baptists. 

Headquarters  in  Rome,  and  missions  in  many  cities  of 
Italy,  Sicily,  and  Sardinia. 

The  English  Wesleyan  Missions. 

Headquarters  in  Rome.  For  information,  address  Rev. 
G.  Cervi,  18  Via  Vittoria  Colonna. 

English  Baptist  Missions. 

Headquarters  35  Piazza  Lucena,  Rome. 


62  THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 


TOPICS   FOR   FURTHER  STUDY 

Monks  who  have  helped  the  religious  life  of  Italy. 
(Savonarola,  Fra  Angelico,  and  others.) 

The  Influence  of  Christian  Art. 

Lives  of  the  Saints.  (St.  Francis,  St.  Catherine  of 
Sienna,  etc.) 

Life  of  Savonarola. 

Story  of  the  Waldenses  in  the  fourteenth  and  fifteenth 
centuries. 

The  Great  Ecumenical  Councils  and  what  they  have 
done  for  the  Church. 

Influence  of  the  Crusades  upon  Italy. 

Since  many  of  the  members  of  the  missionary  societies 
are  also  members  of  Women's  Clubs,  it  has  been  thought 
that  some  of  these  clubs  might  like  to  take  np  for  their 
winter's  study  topics  allied  to  those  used  in  our  mission 
study,  taking  up  phases  of  life,  or  special  epochs  in  the 
histories  of  the  countries  studied,  that  cannot  be  treated 
in  the  missionary  meetings.  Such  clubs  may  like  to  use 
some  of  the  topics  suggested  above. 

Neighborhood  reading  circles  might  also  be  formed, 
where  ladies  might  take  their  own  sewing,  and,  reading 
aloud  in  turn,  might  take  up  some  such  reading  course 
as  suggested  below. 

FOR  HEADING   CIRCLES 

"Romola,"  by  George  Eliot. 
"  Makers  of  Florence,"  by  Mrs.  Oliphant. 
"  The  Cloister  and  the  Hearth,"  by  Charles  Reade. 
"  In  His  Name,"  by  Edward  Everett  Hale. 
"  Makers  of  Venice,"  by  Mrs.  Oliphant. 
"  The  AValdenses,  Their  Home  and  History,"  by  Rev. 
James  Gibson,  D.D. 

"  Italian  Journeys,"  Ilowells. 

"  The  Trailers,"  by  Ruth  Little  INIason. 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  ITALY  63 

"  Ciiore,"  De  Amicis. 

"Casa  Guidi  Windows,"  Mrs.  Browning. 

BIBLIOGRArHY 

"  Makers  of  Modern  Italy,"  J.  Mariott. 

"  The  Roman  Catliolic  Church  in  Italy,"  Rev.  Alexan- 
der Robertson,  D.D. 

"  Italy,  Her  People  and  Their  Story,"  Augusta  Hale 
Gifford. 

"  The  Waldenses,  Their  Rise,  Struggles,  Persecutions, 
and  Triumphs,"  Teofilo  Gay,  D.D.K.I.G. 

"  The  Israel  of  the  Alps,"  Muston. 

SELECTIONS   FROIM   "THE   ROMAN   CATHOLIC 
CHURCH   IN  ITALY" 

By  Dr.  Alexander  Robertson  of  Venice 

The  Pope's  Claims. 

His  claim  to  be  "  universal  pope  and  universal  king  " 
rests,  in  the  first  place,  on  the  decree  of  Phocas,  emperor 
of  Constantinople  from  602-10,  who  was  a  groom,  and 
who  attained  to  the  imperial  throne  by  the  murder  of 
the  Emperor  Mauritius,  the  empress,  their  five  sons,  and 
many  of  the  adherents  of  his  throne,  and  who  on  his 
accession  received  the  warm  congratulations  of  Pope 
Gregory  the  Great.  The  papal  claim  rests,  in  the  second 
place,  on  the  fictitious  "  donation  of  Constantine,"  and 
the  false  decretals  published  in  the  eighth  century.  .  .  . 
The  boasted  "  historic  continuity  "  of  the  papal  succes- 
sion is  as  much  a  figment  as  the  "  false  and  obsolete  title 
that  still  sanctifies  his  reign."  I  have  before  me  Platina's 
"  Lives  of  the  Popes,"  and  several  other  "  Lives,"  but  the 
lists  of  popes  in  no  two  of  them  agree.  What  is  common 
to  all  is  a  breakage  of  the  papal  succession  by  a  schism. 
This  occurs  in  almost  every  century.  At  such  times  there 
existed  two,  sometimes  three,  and  occasionally  even  four 


64  THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 

popes,  as  was  the  case  when  the  Ecumenical  Council  of 
Constance  was  sitting  (1414-18),  whicli  deposed  Benedict 
XIIL,  Gregory  XII.,  Alexander  V.,  who  had  once  been  a 
beggar,  and  John  XXIII.,  who  had  been  a  pirate,  and 
elected  IMartin  V.  During  such  contests  each  pope 
claimed  to  be  the  only  true  one,  and,  not  content  with  that, 
roundly  abused  his  rivals,  as  antichrist,  and  men  of  wicked 
lives,  "  snarling  at  each  other,"  as  Wycliffe  says,  "  like 
dogs  overaboue."  Which  of  these  quarrelling  men  were 
popes,  and  which  were  antipopes,  is  a  matter  of  opinion. 
The  popes  of  one  historic  list  are  the  antipopes  of 
another. 

The  Prisoner  of  the  Vatican. 

If  the  Vatican  is  a  prison,  the  door  is  locked  from  the 
inside,  and  t!ie  pope  keeps  the  key.  It  is  a  very  luxuri- 
ous prison,  with  its  eleven  thousand  rooms,  its  museums, 
its  libraries  and  galleries  with  their  priceless  treasures, 
and  with  its  extensive  gardens  and  grovinds.  It  is  a 
palace  of  delights.  .  .  .  The  pope  has  got  his  little  army 
of  some  six  hundred  gayly  dressed  Swiss,  he  has  got  his 
private  post  and  telegraph  arrangements,  he  has  got 
ambassadors  accredited  to  him  from  foreign  Catholic 
powers,  and  he  has  got  the  Vatican.  Pio  Nono  used 
jokingly  to  say,  "  The  Vatican  with  its  eleven  thousand 
rooms  is  too  small  for  me  ;  I  stifle  in  them ;  I  must  go 
out  to  my  gardens,  and  to  my  summer  shooting  box. 
Villa  Castel  Gondolfo."  When  the  present  pope  has  a 
similar  feeling,  he  is  free  to  do  the  same. 

Via  Venti  Settembre. 

One  cannot  visit  Rome,  and  walk  up  the  broad  street 
called  the  Street  of  the  Twentieth  of  September  and  pass 
out  by  the  old  historic  gateway  of  Porta  Pia,  and  see  tlie 
monuments  erected  to  "  Victory,"  to  "  Roma  Redenta," 
and  read  the  words,  "  When  to  universal  right,  twice, 
Rome-like,  asserted,  the  fates  added  the  free  conscience 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  ITALY  65 

of  humanity,  by  this  breach  Italy  reentei'ed  Rome,"  and 
the  names  of  the  Italians  who  fell  storming  that  breach 
in  the  wall,  cut  in  the  granite  i-ock,  without  feeling  that 
Italy  regards  this  triumph  as  the  greatest  in  the  annals 
of  her  history.  Nor  can  any  one  be  in  any  spot  on  the 
peninsula,  even  in  the  remotest  and  obscurest  of  its 
country  hamlets,  on  the  20th  of  September,  the  anni- 
versary of  that  breach  and  conquest,  and  destruction 
of  papal  sovereignty,  without  feeling  that  that  date  is 
held  to  be  the  most  glorious,  the  most  joyous,  and  the 
most  sacred  in  the  national  calendar.  It  is  a  national 
holiday,  when  the  tri-color  floats  from  every  public  build- 
ing, and  from  many  a  private  dwelling-house,  and  when 
patriotic  speeches  ring  from  the  Alps  to  Sicily,  through- 
out the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land. 

From  an  old  Roman  Catholic  Prayer  Book,  said  to  be 
still  in  use  in  some  parts  of  Italy :  ^ 

"O  Lady,  how  are  they  increased  that  trouble  me ! 

Give  ear  to  my  words,  O  Lady !  and  turn  not  away 
from  me  the  beauty  of  thy  countenance. 

I  will  praise  thee,  O  Lady,  with  my  whole  heart,  I  will 
tell  forth  to  the  people  thy  praise  and  thy  glory. 

How  long,  O  Lady,  wilt  thou  forget  me ! 

Preserve  me,  O  Lady,  because  I  hoped  in  thee. 

The  heavens  declare  the  glory  of  the  Virgin  IMary,  and 
the  fragrance  of  tliy  ointments  is  dispersed  among  the 
people. 

Praise  waiteth  for  thee,  0  our  Lady,  in  Zion. 

0  come,  let  us  sing  unto  our  Lady,  let  us  rejoice  in  the 
Virgin  our  Saviour.  Let  us  come  before  her  presence 
with  thanksgiving,  and  make  a  joyful  noise  unto  her  with 
psalms.  O  come,  let  us  worship  and  fall  down  before 
her." 

1  Quoted  by  Robertson,  in  his  "  Roman  Catholic  Church 
in  Italy." 


66  THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 

A  Prayer  to  the  A'irgin  (fiom  the  Manual  of  Indul- 
gences) : 

"  I  adore  you,  O  great  Queen,  I  thank  you  for  all  the 
grace  you  have  given  me  till  now,  especially  for  having 
liberated  nie  from  hell,  many  a  time  merited  by  me.  I 
love  3'ou,  most  lovely  Lady,  and  for  the  love  that  I  bear 
you  I  promise  to  be  willing  always  to  serve  you,  and  to 
do  all  I  can  in  order  to  get  others  to  love  you  too.  I 
place  in  you  all  my  hope,  all  my  salvation ;  accept  me  as 
your  servant^  and  gather  me  under  your  mantle,  Mother 
of  Mercy !  " 


INFLUENCE   OF   SAVONAROLA 

By  Augusta  Hale  Gifford 

"  Girolamo  Savonarola  began  to  preach  in  1489,  and  so 
great  was  the  desire  to  hear  him  that  women  and  chil- 
dren would  rise  in  the  night  to  gain  their  places.  They 
came  with  the  same  rejoicing  to  listen  to  his  sermons 
with  which  they  would  go  forth  to  a  wedding  or  to  a 
play,  making  no  account  of  standing  on  cold  marble 
pavements  in  the  chill  of  winter.  Savonarola  thundered 
in  awful  tones  against  the  vices  of  society  and  the  sins 
of  the  people,  and  foretold  the  terrible  punishment  which 
awaited  such  a  course  of  life.  The  Florentines  were  held 
spellbound  by  the  simple  eloquence  of  a  preacher  who 
scorned  '  all  tradition  of  oratory  and  literary  style,'  and 
swept  everything  before  him  by  his  earnestness  and 
warmth  of  feeling.  In  looking  upon  his  glowing  coun- 
tenance, the  imagination  of  all  was  kindled.  Some  be- 
lieved that  they  saw  an  angel  on  either  side  of  him  as 
he  preached;  and  others  thought  the  Madonna  herself 
stood  above  him  in  glory,  blessing  him  with  uplifted 
hands  while  he  pronounced  a  benediction  on  the  multi- 
tude. .  .  . 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  ITALY  67 

"  For  several  years  after  the  death  of  Lorenzo  de'  Medici, 
Savonarola  was  the  real  ruler  of  Florence,  and  at  the 
time  of  the  French  invasion  determined  the  politics  of 
the  city,  and  with  the  aid  of  Piero  Capponi  guided  the 
State  through  the  critical  period.  He  relieved  the  starv- 
ing populace  within  the  wails,  opened  shops  for  the 
unemployed,  reduced  the  taxes,  and  administered  jus- 
tice in  every  possible  way,  at  the  same  time  exhorting 
all  men  to  put  their  trust  in  God.  The  laws  and  edicts 
of  this  period  are  said  to  read  like  paraphrases  of  Savon- 
arola's sermons.  He  warded  off  a  revolution,  not  only 
by  keeping  the  people  quiet,  but  by  frightening  the  king 
of  France  with  prophecies,  so  that  the  latter  left  the  city 
free  from  his  depredations.  The  Great  Council  which 
followed,  giving  the  people  their  rights,  was  also  the 
work  of  Savonarola. 

"  After  the  fall  of  the  Medici,  the  Florentines,  influenced 
by  Savonarola's  teachings,  abjured  their  vanities  and  fol- 
lies, leading  a  life  of  humility  and  repentance.  Hymns 
and  psalms  rang  in  the  streets,  in  place  of  loud  songs 
which  had  so  recently  been  heard,  while  men  and  women 
dressed  with  puritan  simplicity,  and  husbands  and  wives 
even  quitted  their  homes  for  life  in  convents  ;  for  Savon- 
arola's reign  is  said  to  have  been  '  a  kind  of  heavenly 
despotism,  short  but  far-reaching  in  its  influence.' " 


68  THE    GOSPEL  IN  LATIN  LANDS 


MILTON'S   SONNET 

On  the  Slaughter  of  the  Waldensians  in  1655, 
CALLED  "  The  Piedmontese  Easter  " 

"  AveBge  !  O  Lord,  Thy  slaughtered  saints,  whose  bones 
Lie  scattered  on  the  Alpine  mountains  cold  ! 
Even  them  who  kept  Thy  truth,  so  pure  of  old. 

When  all  our  fathers  worshipped  stocks  and  stones. 

Forget  not !     In  Thy  book  record  their  groans ; 
Who  were  Thy  sheep,  and  in  their  ancient  fold 
Slain  by  the  bloody  Piedmontese,  that  rolled 

Mother  with  infant  down  the  rocks.     Theii  moans  — 
The  vales  redoubled  to  the  hills,  and  they 

To  heaven.     Their  martyred  blood  and  ashes  sow 
O'er  all  the  Italian  fields,  where  still  doth  sway 
,   The  triple  tyrant ;  that  from  these  may  grow 
A  hundred  fold,  who,  having  learned  Thy  way, 

Early  may  fly  the  Babylonian  woe  !  " 


IMPORTANT   DATES   IN   THE   HISTORY   OF 
FRANCE 

Ancient  Gaul.     600  b.c.-4SG  a.d. 

600  15. c.     Marseilles  fouHded  by  Greeks. 

154.     Marseilles  asks  help  of  Rome. 

About  50  B.C.     Caesar  in  Gaiil. 

160  A.D.  First  missionaries  in  France.  Christian 
settlement  in  Lyons. 

251.  Church  of  northern  France  founded  at  Paris  by 
St.  Denis. 

407.     Gorman  settlements  in  Gaul. 

451.  Battle  of  Chalons.  Attila  and  the  Huns  de- 
feated. 

German  Gaul.     481-987. 
496.     Clovis  accepts  Christianity.     France  becomes  a 

Catholic  country. 
Sixth    Century.     Benedictine    monks    established    in 

France. 
732.   Battle  of  Tours  won  by  Charles  Martel.     Europe 

saved  to  Christianity. 
800.    Charlemagne  crowned  emperor  at  Rome. 
911.    Rollo  baptized.     Normandy  founded. 

Feudal  France.     987-1494. 

987-996.     Hugh  Capet,  founder  of  Capetian  line. 
996-1031.     Robert  the  Pious. 
1041.     The  Truce  of  God. 

1208.     Crusade  against  the  Albigenses  lasting  35  years. 
1226-1270.     St.  Louis  (Louis  IX.). 
1309.     Pope  Clement  V.  in  Avignon.     Beginning  of 
"  Babylonian  Captivity." 

Period  of  the  Italian  Wars.     1494-15.59. 
1494.     Invasion  of  Italy  by  Charles  VIII. 
1515-1547.     Persecution  of  Huguenots  in  France. 
69 


70  THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 

1559.  Treaty  of  Cateau-Cambresis.     The  "  Unfortu- 

nate Peace." 

Period  of  the  Civil  and  Religious  Wars.     1559- 
1598. 

1560.  Conspiracy  of  Amboise.     The  Huguenot  party. 
1572.     Massacre  of  St.  Bartholomew. 

1593.  Henry  of  Navarre  gives  up  the  Huguenot  faith 

and  becomes  a  Catholic. 

1594.  Henry  of  Navarre  crowned  king  of  France. 
1598.     Edict  of  Nantes,  giving  liberty  of  worship  to 

the  Huguenots. 

The  Absolute  Monarchy.     1598-1789. 
1627.     Overthrow  of  the  Huguenots. 
1643-1715.     Louis  XIV. 
1685.     Revocation  of  Edict  of  Nantes.     Persecution  of 

Huguenots. 
1715-1774.     Louis  XV. 
1774-1789.     Louis  XVI. 

Revolutionary  France.     1789-1909. 

1789-1814.  The  Revolution.  Abolition  of  Mon- 
archy—  Reign  of  Terror — the  Directory  — 
the  Consulate  —  the  Empire. 

1814-1830.  The  Restoration,  including  "  The  Hundred 
Days." 

1830-1848.     House  of  Orleans. 

1848.  Revolution.  The  Second  Republic  established 
with  Louis  Napoleon  as  president. 

1852-1870.  The  Second  Empire,  with  Napoleon  III. 
as  emperor. 

1870-1871.     Franco-Prussian  War. 

1871-1909.     The  Third  Republic. 

1892.     The  Panama  Scandal. 

1894.     The  Dreyfus  Case. 

1907.     Separation  of  Church  and  State. 


vh^  DESV 


■       \ 

LOUF 


FRANCE 


CHAPTER  II 

THE   GOSPEL  IN   FRANCE 

I.    The  story  of  France 

From  the  Ea7'liest  Accounts  to  the  Accession  of 
Clovis,  481  A.D. 

Looking  backward  across  the  centuries  to  The  Gauis. 
the  days  before  history  was  written,  we  see  all 
Europe  overspread  by  a  fierce,  bold,  warrior 
people,  called  in  general  Celts,  who  kept  to- 
gether in  clans,  each  clan  with  a  chief  of  its 
own.  The  Gauls  were  among  the  wildest  and 
fiercest  of  these  tribes  who,  after  much  wander- 
ing in  central  Europe,  had  settled  in  the  coun- 
try between  the  Rhine,  the  Rhone,  the  Alps, 
and  the  Pyrenees.  They  were  a  pagan  people, 
worshipping  the  stars,  the  ocean,  and  the  winds. 
Their  priests  were  Druids,  who  possessed  what 
knowledge  and  science  there  was  in  the  land, 
passing  it  down  from  one  to  another  by  word 
of  mouth. 

As  early  600  B.C.  Phoenicians  and  Greeks 
settled  on  the  Mediterranean  shores  of  Gaul, 
and  built  Marseilles,  Nice,  and  other  cities,  with 
marble  temples  to  their  gods,  and  pillars  and 
statues  and  beautiful  gardens.  When  in  later 
71 


72 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 


Gaul 
becomes 
a  Roman 
province. 


The  first 
missionaries 
in  Gaul. 


years  their  fierce,  warlike  neighbors,  the  Gauls, 
disturbed  their  peace,  they  appealed  to  the 
Romans  for  help  (134  jj.c),  and  this  marks 
the  first  epoch  in  the  liistory  of  France. 

The  Romans  conquered  the  Gauls,  and  built 
cities  of  their  own  in  that  part  of  the  coun- 
try now  known  as  Provence,  calling  it  "  The 
Province."  Later  (50  B.C.)  came  Julius  Ciesar 
with  his  conquering  legions,  and  after  many 
fierce  battles  took  possession  of  the  entire 
country,  and  for  about  450  years  Gaul  was  a 
Roman  province  governed  by  Roman  laws. 

Since  the  province  was  not  very  far  from 
Rome,  it  was  not  long  before  the  apostles  be- 
gan to  send  missionaries  into  Gaul,  who  made 
many  converts.  There  is  a  legend  that  Lazarus 
and  Mary  went  thither,  though  this  is  hardly 
probable.  We  know,  however,  that  Trophimus 
was  the  first  bishop  of  Aries,  and  some  have 
believed  that  he  was  that  Ephesian  who  was 
with  St.  Paul  in  Jerusalem  when  he  was 
arrested.  The  first  bishop  of  Lyons  was  Pothi- 
nus,  who  had  been  taught  by  St.  John.  In 
the  year  177  a.d.  began  the  great  persecution 
under  Marcus  Aurelius,  and  when  it  was  ended 
the  bones  of  the  martyrs  were  collected,  we 
are  told,  and  a  church  built  over  them,  where 
now  stands  the  cathedral  of  Lyons.  Through 
the  teachings  of  Irenpeus,  who  succeeded  Po- 
thinus,  and  through  his  writings  and  his  holy 
life,  many  people  in  Lyons  became  Christians; 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  FRANCE  73 

but  in  the  year  202  began  another  great  perse- 
cution by  order  of  the  Emperor  Severus,  and 
Irena3us  was  among  the  martyrs. 

There  were  as  yet  no  Christians  in  northern  St.  Denis, 
Gaul,  and  a  bishop  named  Dionysius  was  sent  ^^^  ^•^* 
to  instruct  a  tribe  called  the  Parisii  who  lived 
on  the  banks  of  the  Seine.  In  the  year  272 
he  was  beheaded  on  a  hill  which  is  still  known 
as  Montmartre  (The  Martyr's  Mount);  he  was 
the  founder  of  the  Church  of  northern  France, 
and  is  still  honored  in  Paris  as  St.  Denis. 

Under  the  Emperor  Constantine  the  Church 
of  Gaul  flourished.  Gallic  bishops  were  at 
the  great  Nicene  Council  in  Asia  Minor,  and 
many  beautiful  hymns  for  Christian  worship 
were  written  by  Gauls.  Little  by  little  they 
were  becoming  Christianized  and  civilized. 
Cities  were  built ;  schools  and  colleges  were 
founded ;  roads  were  built  connecting  all  parts 
of  the  country,  and  many  churches  were  estab- 
lished. 

It  was  about  this  time  that  the  first  monastery  st.  Martin 
in  Gaul  was  founded  by  St.   Martin,  as  he  is  "^7'^"''^' 

^  oil.  A.D. 

now  known.  He  had  been  a  soldier,  but  after 
he  became  a  Christian  he  left  the  army  to  de- 
vote himself  to  a  religious  life,  and  in  371  was 
elected  bishop  of  Tours.  He  was  determined 
to  root  out  paganism  from  the  land,  and  though 
he  tried  to  do  it  as  a  soldier,  sometimes  by  force 
of  arms,  yet  on  the  whole  his  influence  was  good. 
He  founded  the  monastery  of  Marmoutier  (St. 


74 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 


Martin's  Monastery),  and  from  this  spot  he  and 
his  monks  went  forth  to  teach  the  pagans  in 
the  far  west,  who  were  still  living  as  their  fore- 
fathers had  done.  Martin ,  did  for  them  what 
no  one  else  had  been  able  to  do  —  he  taught  them 
to  become  stanch  Christians.  Though  he  him- 
self was  a  Roman  soldier,  yet  he  showed  to  the 
people  around  him  that  a  soldier  might  also 
have  the  gentler  virtues  of  the  Christian.  He 
died  in  his  monastery  at  Marmoutier,  leaving  so 
many  Christians  in  Gaul  that  it  might  fairly  be 
called  a  Christian  land. 


German  Gaul,  481-752 

The  second  great  epoch  in  the  history  of 
France  was  its  conquest  by  the  Germans.  The 
fall  of  the  Roman  Empire  left  the  Gauls  at  the 
mercy  of  the  fierce  German  tribes,  which  came 
sweeping  down  upon  them,  —  Visigoths,  Burgun- 
dians,  and  Franks,  —  and  settled  in  different  parts 
of  the  country.  Then  came  the  invasion  of  At- 
tila  with  his  fierce  Huns,  and  the  great  battle 
of  Chalons  was  fought,  ending  in  the  triumph  of 
the  Gauls.  St.  Genevieve,  the  patron  saint 
of  Paris,  a  holy  woman  whose  life  was  wholly 
devoted  to  the  service  of  God,  is  honored  as 
having  saved  the  city  from  the  Huns  by  her 
prayers  and  her  wise  counsels. 

The  Franks  under  their  chief,  Clovis,  soon 
overpowered  the  other  German  tribes,  and  Clo- 


THE   GOSPEL  IN  FRANCE  75 

vis  established  his  capital  in  Paris,  and  founded 
the  kingdom  of  the  Franks,  from  whom  came  the 
name  of  France.  Through  the  influence  of  his 
Christian  wife,  Clovis  became  interested  in  the 
Christian  religion,  and  when,  in  time  of  battle, 
he  found  himself  in  great  danger,  he  cried  aloud: 
"  Christ,  whom  Clotilda  calls  the  true  God,  I 
have  called  on  my  own  gods  and  they  help  me 
not  !  Send  help,  and  I  will  own  thy  name  !  " 
He  was  victorious,  and  soon  after  was  baptized, 
accepting  the  Catholic  form  of  Christianity, 
which  he  made  the  state  religion. 

"  They  were  thus  brought  at  the  beginning  of  their 
history,"  says  a  recent  historian,  "  into  alliance  with  the 
Church  Avhich  was  to  be,  besides  themselves,  the  other 
great  force  of  the  future.  Indeed,  this  conversion  of  the 
Franks  largely  determined  the  future  of  the  Cliurch,  and 
kept  in  power  the  strongest  influence  which  was  at  wox'k 
for  European  unity  and  for  a  higher  civilization." 

For  two  hundred  and  seventeen  years  the  Battle  of 
descendants  of  Clovis  reigned  in  France,  and  Tours, 
then  the  power  was  seized  by  Pepin,  Mayor  of 
the  Palace.  It  was  under  his  son  Charles  that 
the  great  battle  of  Tours  was  fought,  which 
checked  the  advance  of  the  Saracens  and  settled 
once  for  all  the  question  whether  Europe  should 
be  Mohammedan  or  Christian.  It  was  for  his 
valor  in  "  hammering "  the  Saracens  in  that 
battle  that  Charles  gained  the  title  of  Martel 
(the  Hammer). 

With  Pepin  the  Short,  son  of  Charles  Martel, 


76  THE  GOSPEL  IN  LATIN  LANDS 

Charie-  the    Carlovingian   line   of   kings  began,  which 

magne.  lasted  two  hundred  and  thirty-five  years;   but 

the  only  ruler  of  much  power  and  influence  was 
Charlemagne,  the  son  of  Pepin.  He  extended 
his  kingdom  from  the  German  Ocean  to  the 
Adriatic,  and  was  croAvned  emperor  by  the 
pope  in  the  year  800.  He  founded  libraries  and 
schools,  and  engaged  the  learned  Anglo-Saxon 
Alcuin  as  teacher  for  the  royal  family.  Shortly 
before  he  died  he  revised  a  portion  of  the  Scrip- 
tures; he  also  wrote  several  hymns,  among  them 
"  Veni  Creator  Spiritus."  He  built  a  great 
cathedral  at  Aix  and  collected  there  from  Italy 
the  best  singers  of  church  music.  He  died  in 
the  jear  814,  in  his  seventy-first  year,  and  was 
buried  at  Aix,  sitting  upright  and  crowned, 
with  his  sword  by  his  side  and  a  copy  of  the 
Gospels  in  his  hand. 
Hugh  Capet.  His  successors  were  men  of  little  influence, 
who  left  the  kingdom  worse  than  they  found 
it.  Then  came  the  invasion  of  the  Northmen, 
or  Normans,  under  Rollo,  who  embraced  Chris- 
tianity and  was  baptized  under  the  name  of 
Robert.  He  made  great  gifts  to  the  Church, 
and  established  wise  laws,  making  Normandy 
the  happiest  part  of  the  country.  Tlie  counts 
of  Paris  having  now  attained  great  power,  Hugh 
Capet,  son  of  Hugh  the  Great,  was  elected  king 
and  became  the  founder  of  the  Capetian  line. 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  FRANCE  77 

Feudal  France,  987-1494 

With  Hugh  Capet  it  may  be  said  that  French  Beginning 
history  really  begins,  though  France  was  then  |^[gfo^^*^'^ 
a  very  small  kingdom.  The  country,  moreover, 
was  all  broken  up  into  little  separate  realms 
ruled  over  by  the  feudal  barons,  and  Hugh 
Capet  himself  had  little  real  power.  But 
though  he  did  little  except  to  found  this  line  of 
kings,  yet  it  was  the  monarchy  that  he  began, 
and  the  persistent  efforts  of  his  successors  to 
weaken  the  power  of  the  feudal  barons  and 
form  a  new  and  united  France  that  saved  the 
nation.  A  modern  historian,^  in  speaking  of  the 
results  achieved  by  these  kings,  says  : 

"  There   is   no  modern    nation  which  owes  so   heavy   What 
a  debt  of  gratitude  to  its  ancient  line  of  kings  as  the    France  owes 
French.     France    as  it   exists   to-day   and   has   existed    *" 
through  all  modern  history,  with  all  its  glorious  achieve- 
ments, is  their  creation,  and  that  of  no  one  else.     The 
great  task  which  was  before  them  at  the  beginning  of 
their  history  was  to  unite  the  feudal  fragments   of   a 
nation,    which    were   virtually   independent    states,   and 
which   were   steadily  growing   farther   away  from   one 
another  in  language,  in  law,  in  habits  and  feelings,  to 
unite,  or  we  may  say,  as  the  French  language  does,  to 
reunite   them   under   one   government   and   into   a  real 
nation,  with  a  common  language  and  a  national  enthu- 
siasm.    This  great  task  they  successfully  performed." 


France,  though  nominally  a  Christian  coun-  Political  and 

religious 
conditions. 


try,  was  at  this  time  in  a  bad  condition  both  "religious 


1  Professor  G.  B.  Adams  of  Yale  College. 


78  THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 

politically  and  religiously.  A  large  part  of  the 
country  was  occupied  by  Gauls,  who  spoke  a 
broken  form  of  Latin;  in  the  south  were  the 
Romans,  who  talked  a  better  form  of  Latin;  in 
Normandy  the  people  were  learning  to  talk 
nothing  but  French.  All  over  France  there 
were  turbulence  and  cruelty;  the  Church  had 
become  demoralized,  and  the  bishops  seemed  to 
care  only  for  riches  and  power;  in  the  monas- 
teries there  were  laziness  and  greediness,  if  not 
worse. 

As  the  year  1000  drew  near  it  was  generally 
believed  that  the  end  of  the  world  was  at  hand, 
and  all  other  interests  were  suspended  while 
people  waited  for  the  end.  Many  gladly  gave 
all  their  lands  and  money  to  the  Church;  men 
forsook  their  trades,  lands  were  left  uncultivated, 
and  famine  destroyed  whole  populations.  As 
the  year  1000  drew  to  a  close,  better  feelings 
prevailed.  To  check  the  violence  and  cruelty 
"The  Truce  wliicli  still  existed,  the  Church  proclaimed  "the 
of  God."  Truce  of  God,"  which  made  it  a  crime  to  shed 
blood  "  from  the  setting  of  the  sun  on  Friday 
until  its  rising  on  Monday  morn."  Beautiful 
cathedrals  were  built,  life  in  the  monasteries 
improved.  Robert  the  Pious  (996-1031)  was 
one  of  the  most  religious  men  in  the  kingdom, 
often  singing  with  the  monks  at  St.  Denis 
hymns  which  he  himself  had  written  and  set  to 
music. 

During  the  twelfth  and  thirteenth  centuries 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  FRANCE  79 

occurred  the  crusades,  which,  though  failing  in  The 
their  main  object,  were  of  value  in  other  ways,  ^^^ 
bringing  the  western  nations  together  in  mutual 
sympathy,  giving  men  new  knowledge  of  the  arts 
and  sciences,  and  weakening  the  power  of  the 
feudal  barons  by  the  sale  of  many  feudal  prop- 
erties ;  the  earnest  preaching  of  Peter  the  Her- 
mit, St.  Bernard,  and  others  must  also  have 
had  its  influence  on  the  Christian  life  of  the 
time. 

In  the  thirteenth  century  occurred  the  cru- 
sade against  the  Albigenses,  so  called  from  the 
city  of  Albi  where  many  of  them  lived.  We 
do  not  know  to-day  just  what  was  the  belief  of 
these  people,  since  no  accounts  of  their  creed 
have  been  preserved  except  those  written  by 
their  enemies  in  the  Roman  Church.  A  modern 
historian  ^  says  of  them : 

"  Though  they  were  reduced  to  the  indignity  of  having  -phe 
the  record  of  their  faith  and  self-devotion  transmitted  to  Albigenses. 
posterity  only  in  the  hostile  chronicles  of  Roman  eccle- 
siastics, yet  even  partisan  animosity  has  not  robbed  the 
world  of  the  edifying  spectacle  of  a  large  number  of  men 
and  women,  of  a  quiet  and  peaceable  disposition,  persist- 
ently and  fearlessly  protesting,  through  a  long  series  of 
years,  against  the  worship  of  saints  and  images,  resisting 
the  innovations  of  a  corrupt  Church,  and  adhering  with 
constancy  to  a  simple  ritual  unencumbered  with  super- 
stitious observances.  Careful  investigation  established 
the  fact  that  the  Holy  Scriptures  were  read  and  accepted, 
and  that  the  precepts  there  inculcated  were  adorned  by 

*  "  History  of  the  Rise  of  the  Huguenots,"  by  H.  M.  Baird. 


80  THE   GOSPEL  IN  LATIN  LANDS 

lives  so  pare  and  exemplary  as  to  evoke  an  involuntary 
expression  of  admiration  from  bitter  opponents. 

"  There  is  little  doubt  that  strange  doctrinal  errors  found 
a  foothold  in  parts,  at  least,  of  the  extensive  territory  in 
southern  France  occupied  by  the  Albigenses.  Oriental 
dualism,  or  Manichseism,  not  improbably  disfigured  the 
creed  of  portions  of  the  sect;  while  the  belief  of  others 
scarcely  differed  from  that  of  the  less  numerous  Walden- 
ses  of  Provence,  or  their  brethren  in  the  valleys  of  Pied- 
mont. But,  whatever  may  be  the  truth  on  this  much 
contested  point,  the  remarkable  spread  of  the  Albigenses 
during  the  latter  part  of  the  twelfth  century  must  be 
regarded  as  strongly  marking  the  revolt  of  the  French 
mind,  especially  in  the  more  impetuous  south,  against 
the  priestly  absolutism  that  crushed  all  freedom  of  re- 
ligious thought,  and  equally  against  a  Church  tolerating 
the  most  flagrant  abuses.  Nor  can  the  historian  who 
desires  to  trace  the  more  remote  consequences  of  impor- 
tant moral  movements  fail  to  notice  the  singular  fact  that 
the  soil  watered  by  Albigensian  blood  at  the  beginning 
of  the  thirteenth  century  was  precisely  that  in  which 
the  seed  sown  by  the  reformers  three  hundred  years  later 
sprang  up  most  rapidly,  and  bore  the  most  abundant 
harvest." 

The  Whatever  their  doctrines  were,  there  can  be 

Albigenses     j^^  doubt  that  it  was  their  opposition  to,  and 

extermi-  _  ^  ^ 

nated.  protests     against,   the    errors    of    the    Roman 

Church  that  moved  Innocent  III.  to  attempt 
to  crush  out  this  heresy  by  proclaiming  a  cru- 
sade against  them.  For  many  years  the  cruel 
persecution  lasted,  until  the  province  of  Lan- 
guedoc,  where  these  people  lived,  was  de- 
stroyed, and  the  beautiful  Provencal  language 
was  heard  no  more.     From  this  time  until  the 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  FRANCE  81 

beginning  of  the  Reformation  all  open  protests 
against  the  errors  of  the  Church  ceased. 

As  the  long  years  went  by  feudalism  gradu-  Preparing 
ally  weakened,  and  the  power  of  the  monarchy  ^^'\*^^® 
grew   stronger;    though  there  was  still  much  tion. 
violence  and  cruelty,  yet  the  nation  was  grow- 
ing more  compact  and   strong,  and   preparing 
to   take    its    place   among   the   great    powers. 
Though  there  was  now  no  open  protest  against 
the  Church,  yet  there  were  many  in  the  land 
who  longed  for  a  purer  faith,  and  who,  here 
and  there,  helped  by  their  words  and  lives  to 
prepare  the  way  for   the  truth  which   the   re- 
formers were  to  preach. 

Italian   Wars  and   Civil  and  Religious  Wars^ 
1494-1598 

For  a  period  of  more  than  a  hundred  years 
France  was  now  involved  in  war,  —  at  first  with 
Italy,  for  France  was  one  of  the  nations  that 
claimed  possessions  in  that  country.  During 
these  wars  some  of  the  cities  of  Italy  were  taken 
and  retaken  several  times,  and  pictures  of  price- 
less value,  which  had  survived  many  heathen 
invasions,  were  destroyed  by  these  Christian 
armies. 

But  now  the  spirit  of  the  Reformation  began  johnCaivin. 
to   be   felt   in   France.     The  leader  was  John 
Calvin,  whose  teachings  were  even  more  of  a 
departure    from    the    Roman    Catholic  Church 


82  THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 

than  those  of  Luther.  When  at  last  he  was 
obliged  to  flee  from  persecution,  he  took  refuge 
in  Basle,  where  he  published  his  "  Institutes  of 
the  Christian  Religion."  In  this  book  he  had 
carefully  written  out  a  statement  of  the  belief  of 
those  who  were  even  then  being  persecuted  in 
France  for  their  religious  views.  This  book 
was  widely  circulated  among  the  reformers  all 
over  Europe,  and  Calvin  became  an  influential 
leader  among  them.  His  doctrines  were  ac- 
cepted by  Marguerite,  Queen  of  Navarre,  and 
by  many  of  the  French  nobles  ;  and  his  follow- 
ers, who  were  now  called  Huguenots,  became 
very  numerous. 

When  Francis  II.  began  to  reign  at  the  age 
of  sixteen,  the  real  power  was  held  by  the  Duke 
of  Guise  and  Cardinal  Lorraine.  This  aroused 
the  indignation  of  the  Prince  of  Conde,  the 
Admiral  Coligny,  and  others,  who  arrayed  them- 
selves on  the  side  of  the  Protestants,  in  opposition 
to  the  Guises,  and  a  war  which  was  partly  reli- 
gious and  partly  political  broke  out  between  them. 
Massacre  of  lasting  for  many  years.  Charles  IX.,  who  suc- 
™„^^'^^'*^'  ceeded  to  the  throne  at  the  age  of  ten,  was 
largely  under  the  influence  of  his  mother,  Cath- 
erine de'  Medici,  and  it  was  at  her  instigation 
that,  in  1572,  he  signed  the  order  for  the  dread- 
ful massacre  of  St.  Bartholomew,  in  which,  it 
is  said,  thirty  thousand  Huguenots  perished. 
Catherine  had  hoped  that  she  might  thus  exter- 
minate the  Huguenots  and  terminate  the  wars ; 


omew. 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  FRANCE  83 

but  a  new  war  soon  broke  out,  which  was  waged 
with  greater  fury  than  before,  in  the  course  of 
which  the  Duke  of  Guise  and  liis  brother,  Car- 
dinal Lorraine,  were  murdered,  and  later  Henry 
III.  shared  the  same  fate. 

Henry  of  Navarre,  who  had  accepted  the 
Protestant  faith,  was  next  heir  to  the  throne; 
but  Paris  and  a  great  part  of  France  refused  to 
acknowledge  him,  and  after  five  years  more  of 
fighting  lie  gave  up  his  religion,  publicly  ab- 
jured his  "  Calvinistic  errors,"  and  accepted  the 
Catholic  faith,  and  the  next  year  was  crowned 
king  of  France  and  Navarre  as  Henry  IV. 

But  though  he  had  given  up  his  religion  for  Edict 
the  sake  of  his  throne,  yet  he  tried  to  deal  fairly  jgyg*^"*^^' 
by  both  parties,  and  made  it  his  first  work  to 
terminate  the  religious  wars  by  proclaiming  the 
Edict  of  Nantes  in  1598,  granting  liberty  of 
conscience  and  freedom  of  worship  to  the  Prot- 
estants. They  were  allowed  to  have  a  place  of 
worship  wherever  there  was  a  sufficient  congre- 
gation, and  were  given  three  towns  as  pledge 
of  their  riglit,  —  La  Rochelle,  Montauban,  and 
Montpellier.  In  the  latter  place  they  established 
a  college  for  educating  their  pastors,  and  at 
each  of  the  three  in  turn  there  were  conferences 
of  the  clergy  to  consult  on  the  affairs  of  the 
Church;  from  this  time  the  Protestants  of  France 
were  left  in  peace  for  nearly  a  century. 


84 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 


Louis  XIV. 


The  Absolute  3Ionarchy,  1598-1789 

During  the  next  two  hundred  j^ears  affairs  in 
France  were  constantly  growing  worse.  Thou- 
sands of  houses  had  been  destro3'ed  during  the 
wars,  and  hundreds  of  thousands  of  people 
killed  or  reduced  to  beggary.  The  country  was 
overburdened  with  debt,  and  the  taxes  were 
heavy. 

During  the  reign  of  Louis  XIII.,  Richelieu,  as 
Prime  Minister,  set  for  himself  three  distinct 
aims:  to  destroy  the  Huguenots  as  a  party, 
to  subdue  the  nobles,  and  to  humble  the  House 
of  Austria,  all  of  which  he  believed  would  help 
to  unify  France  and  make  the  royal  authority 
absolute.  He  laid  siege  to  La  Rochelle  and 
other  Huguenot  cities,  and,  after  a  desperate 
resistance,  they  were  all  captured  within  three 
years,  and  the  Huguenots  ceased  to  be  a  state 
within  a  state,  but  they  were  still  allowed  free- 
dom of  worship.  He  also  put  down  the  nobles 
and  greatly  weakened  the  power  of  Austria. 
The  Huguenots  had  now  lost  much  of  their 
power,  yet  through  their  influence  some  of  the 
worst  evils  had  been  stopped,  and  the  religious 
condition  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  itself 
was  much  improved. 

Then  came  the  long  reign  of  Louis  XIV.,  last- 
ing forty-two  years.  Of  the  story  of  his  wars, 
his  extravagances,  his  determination  to  possess 
absolute  right  over  the  lives  and  property  of  hig 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  FRANCE  85 

subjects,  of  his  brilliant  conquests,  and  of  the 
magnificent  buildings  he  erected,  we  have  no 
space  to  write.  Are  they  not  already  written 
in  the  books  of  the  chronicles  of  the  history  of 
France  ?  This  age  was  a  brilliant  epoch  in 
literature  and  art,  for  those  were  the  days  of 
the  great  sermons  of  Bourdaloue,  Bossuet, 
Fenelon,  Massillon;  of  the  wonderful  writings 
of  Moliere,  Corneille,  Racine,  La  Fontaine;  of 
the  philosophical  works  of  Pascal  and  Des- 
cartes; of  the  paintings  of  Le  Brun,  Poussin,  and 
Claude  Lorrain.  The  greatest  philosophers, 
statesmen,  writers,  and  poets,  all  bowed  down  to 
Louis,  and  all  Europe  was  impressed  by  French 
taste,  thought,  and  language ;  yet  he  wrought 
much  harm  to  his  country.  He  revoked  the  Revocation 
Edict  of  Nantes,  closed  the  Huguenot  schools,  ^J^f  ^ 
forbade  their  forms  of  worship,  drove  their  Nantes. 
ministers  from  the  country,  and  imprisoned 
many  of  their  people.  Before  the  close  of  the 
century  at  least  two  hundred  thousand  Hugue- 
nots had  left  the  country,  carrying  with  them 
industries  and  arts  that  had  been  known  only 
in  France.  But  Louis's  last  days  were  as  sad  as 
his  early  ones  had  been  brilliant,  and  he  died 
with  few  friends  about  him,  and  fewer  mourners. 

Louis  XV.  banished  the  Jesuits,  who  had  had  Louis  xv. 
too  much  influence  over  Louis  XIV.,  and  recalled 
some  of   those  who  had  been  banished  on  ac- 
count  of   their   religion,    yet   in   the   main  he 
devoted   himself   to  his   own    pleasure.      The 


86  THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 

nobles  oppressed  and  scorned  the  peasants,  and 
the  peasants  hated  the  nobles;  the  revenues  had 
all  been  spent  in  advance,  and  all  efforts  to  im- 
prove the  financial  situation  were  in  vain.  It 
was  plain  to  all  that  a  storm  must  come,  but 
little  cared  the  king  for  tliat,  —  "  Things  would 
last  out  his  day,"  he  said.  The  brilliant  writ- 
ings of  Rousseau  and  Voltaire  had  taught  the 
people  scepticism,  and  had  made  religion  a  sub- 
ject of  ridicule  ;  but  their  theories  of  liberty  led 
those  who  had  read  their  writings  to  feel  that 
all  human  beings  had  the  right  to  be  justly 
treated,  and  that  a  better  government  was 
needed. 

When  Louis  XVI.  came  to  the  throne,  condi- 
tions were  such  that  only  a  very  great  and  wise 
king  could  have  remedied  them,  and  Louis  was 
not  that  king.  He  was  young,  inexperienced  in 
public  affairs,  and  weak  in  judgment ;  and  the 
people  despised  him  and  hated  his  Austrian 
wife.  The  common  people  were  still  more 
heavily  taxed,  and  the  nobles  grew  more  in- 
solent and  oppressive  ;  while  the  news  of  the 
American  Revolution,  and  the  consequent  in- 
dependence of  the  United  States,  strengthened 
the  desire  of  the  people  for  liberty. 

Yet  with  all  the  demoralization  and  irreligion 
in  France,  there  were  still  many  in  the  land 
who  loved  and  honored  God.  A  certain  French 
writer  gives  us  this  picture  of  country  life  in 
his  father's  home  in  the  year  1770  : 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  FRANCE  87 

"  At  supper  the  whole  family  —  twenty-two  in  number,    Life  in  a 
including  the  servants  —  sat  down  together.     There  was   Huguenot 
no  rank  except  among  the  children,  where  the  eldest  took    giebteenth 
precedence.     After  supper  my  venerable  father  read  a   century, 
chapter  from  the  Scriptures.     In  summer  a  short  prayer 
followed,  in  which  all  joined.     Then  the  children  recited 
a  lesson  from  the  catechism,  and  silently  retired,  for  after 
evening  prayer,  laughter  or  loud  talking  was  severely  pro- 
hibited.    In  winter  the  children  were  allowed  to  sit  up, 
while  my  father  told  historical  tales.     As  comments  and 
inquiries  were  allowed  during  their  recital,  it  was  the 
most  delightful  recreation  we  knew.     The  servants  were 
also  present,  and  during  the  next  day,  the  subject  of  the 
reading  was  always  made  a  topic  of  conversation." 


Revolutionary  France^  1789-1909 

Now   came   the  Revolution   and   the    Reign  The  Reign 
of  Terror  in  France.     Louis  XVI.  and  Marie  ""^  ^^"°''- 
Antoinette  came  to  the  scaffold,  and  the  poor 
little  Dauphin  languished   and  died  in  prison. 
Many  of  the  wisest  and  noblest  people  of  France 
were   beheaded,  churches   and   convents    were 
plundered  and  burned,  and  worship   was  for- 
bidden.    Then  came  divisions  among  the  ter- 
rorists  themselves :    Danton  suffered  the    fate 
he  had  prescribed  for  so  many  innocent  victims  ; 
Robespierre's  head  fell ;   Marat  had  already  been 
put  to  death  by  Charlotte  Corday ;    the  revo- 
lutionary tribunal    was    abolished,  and   better 
times   began.      Thousands    of    prisoners   were  Results 
released ;  the  priests  and  nobles  were  allowed  S/  *^f  ,. 

'-  Revolution. 

to   return,    and   worship    was   permitted   once 


THE  GOSPEL  IX  LATIN  LANDS 


more.  These  had  been  tlie  most  disastrous 
years  that  France  had  ever  known.  Over  a 
million  people  had  perished ;  chateaux  were  in 
ruins  ;  towns  were  destroyed  ;  religious  observ- 
ances had  been  ridiculed,  churches  closed,  and 
schools  deserted.  Great  abuses  had  been  abol- 
ished, but  at  a  heavy  cost. 

In  1795  France  received  a  new  constitution, 
with  a  directory  of  five  persons  at  the  head  of 
the  government ;  but  the  royalists  rose  against 
them,  and  the  insurrection  was  quelled  by  a 
young  Corsican  named  Napoleon  Bonaparte, 
For  the  next  nineteen  years  the  history  of 
Bonaparte  might  be  said  to  be  the  history  of 
France.  The  story  of  his  campaign  in  Italy, 
of  his  boundless  ambition  for  himself  and  for 
France,  of  the  consulate,  and  of  the  empire,  is 
too  familiar  to  be  rehearsed  here.  In  many 
ways  he  seems  to  have  had  the  good  of  France 
at  heart.  Banditti  were  exterminated,  the 
churches  were  opened  for  worship,  the  Sabbath 
restored,  and  imprisoned  priests  set  free.  He 
established  a  uniform  system  of  weights  and 
measures,  now  known  as  the  Metric  System, 
and  formed  the  Napoleonic  Code  by  simplify- 
ing and  improving  the  various  laws  of  the 
land.  He  repaired  roads  and  built  new  ones ; 
he  built  bridges  across  the  Seine,  the  Arch  of 
Triumph,  and  the  Church  of  the  Madeleine  ;  he 
reorganized  the  educational  system  and  estab- 
lished the  Universitv  of  France.     Yet  his  was 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  FRANCE  89 

a  very  despotic  reign.  The  censorship  of  the 
press  was  very  severe.  No  news  could  be  pub- 
lished until  it  had  first  appeared  in  the  Moniteur, 
a  journal  wholly  under  his  control.  Many  of 
the  best  writers  fled  from  the  country  to  escape 
his  vengeance,  and  the  prisons  were  filled  with 
people  whom  he  had  arbitrarily  arrested.  He 
had  done  much  for  France;  but  his  ambition 
had  overleaped  itself,  and  he  sacrificed  France 
to  his  own  interests  until,  after  the  disastrous 
retreat  from  Moscow  and  the  battle  of  Leipsic, 
he  was  forced  to  abdicate  and  take  up  his 
residence  on  the  island  of  Elba. 

The   history    of    France    since   the   time    of  The 
Napoleon  is  a  record  of  many  changes.     From   "io°^i"c^y 

^  J  &  restored. 

1814  to  1848  France  was  a  kingdom  again,  first 
under  the  Bourbons  and  then  under  the  House 
of  Orleans,  except  for  the  "  hundred  days " 
when  Napoleon  made  his  last  desperate  effort 
to  retrieve  his  fortunes.  But,  though  at  first 
successful,  Napoleon  "  met  his  Waterloo  "  and 
was  banished  to  die  an  unhappy  prisoner  at 
St.   Helena. 

Contemporary/  France 

But  the  monarchy  could  not  last,  and  in  1848, 
after  a  frightful  contest  in  Paris  between  the 
people,  the  troops,  and  the  National  Guard, 
France  was  again  declared  a  republic,  with 
Louis  Napoleon,  son  of  Napoleon's  brother 
Louis,  as  president.     Before  his  four  years  of 


90  THE  GOSPEL    JJV  LATIN  LANDS 

service  were  over,  by  a  coup  d'etat  he  seized 
Paris,  and  in  1852,  by  almost  the  entire  vote  of 
The  second     France,  he  was  elected  emperor.     The  empire 
1^2^70  lasted  only  eighteen  years,  however,  witli  Na- 

poleon as  the  only  emperor.  The  most  disas- 
trous occurrence  during  these  years  was  the 
war  with  Prussia,  in  which  the  French  were 
defeated.  Napoleon  was  taken  prisoner,  and 
Paris  itself  surrendered  to  the  Germans.  Na- 
poleon was  deposed  and  retired  to  England, 
where  two  years  later  he  died.  France  was 
again  declared  a  republic  in  1871,  and  since 
that  time  has  held  to  republican  jDrinciples. 

Napoleon  III.  had  done  much  for  commerce 
and  manufactures  and  for  the  cities  and  rail- 
roads, and  in  some  ways  France  had  never  been 
greater  than  in  the  days  of  the  second  empire. 

"  But,"  says  a  writer  ou  French  history,^  "  a  nation 
pays  too  dearly  for  peace  and  material  well-being  when 
it  purchases  them  at  the  price  of  liberty.  The  French 
are  a  mighty  and  noble  people,  and  for  centuries  upheld 
the  civilization  of  Europe  ;  yet  it  is  to  be  said  of  them, 
that  for  twenty  years,  in  the  midst  of  the  nineteenth 
century,  they  permitted  themselves  to  live  under  a  rule 
which,  in  principle  if  not  in  practice,  was  no  better  than 
an  Asiatic  despotism.  The  real  rottenness  of  the  system 
was  clearly  disclosed  by  the  German  conflict.  The  issue 
on  trial  was  this :  a  people  the  bravest,  the  proudest  in 
Europe,  but  the  great  mass  of  whom  were  morally 
enfeebled,  both  by  want  of  education  and  of  intelligent 
participation  in  public  affairs,  opposed  to  a  nation 
brought  up  in   the   public  schools.     The   result  was  a 

1  Professor  G.  B.  Adams  of  Yale  College. 


THE  GOSPEL  IN   FRANCE  91 

most   significant   verdict   as  to   the    merit  of    the  two 
systems." 

From  the  time  of  the  French  Revolution  un- 
til 1870  there  had  been  many  changes  in  the 
government  of  France,  but  since  that  time  the 
country  has  been  again  at  peace,  and  has  again 
been  taking  her  place  among  the  nations. 
These  have  been  years  of  education  and  en- 
lightenment, the  people  have  been  delivered 
from  the  bondage  of  the  priests,  and  the  Gospel 
has  had  free  course  in  the  land. 

France  has  now  a  population  of  about  forty 
million.  Of  these  there  are  some  six  hundred 
thousand  Protestants,  while  there  are  still  nearly 
thirty-eight  million  nominal  Roman  Catholics, 
but  many  of  these  have  very  little  relation  to 
that  Church,  and  are  simply  drifting  into  indif- 
ference and  free  thinking.  But  France  is  open 
to  the  Gospel,  and  the  Protestant  churches  need 
our  prayers  and  our  help  just  now  more  than 
ever. 

TJie  Separation  of  Church  and  State 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  year  1907  occurred 
an  event  which  must  not  be  omitted  in  the 
story,  however  brief,  of  the  religious  life  of 
France.  In  August  of  that  year  was  promul- 
gated, and  in  December  was  put  in  operation, 
the  decree  which  separated  Church  and  State  in 
France,  and,  in  this  respect,  put  the  republic  in 


tioi 


92  THE  GOSPEL  IN  LATIN  LANDS 

line  with  the  most  advanced  nations.  A  long 
series  of  events  which  cannot  be  here  rehearsed 
led  up  to  this  radical  measure,  for  which  the 
people  as  a  whole  were  found  to  be  quite  ready 
when  it  was  enforced. 
Associa-  The  Protestant  churches,  which  had  also  re- 

is  cuitu-  ceiyed  state  aid,  readily  accepted  the  decree,  and 
at  once  began  to  support  their  own  pastors,  and 
to  form  the  associations  required  by  the  new 
law  of  those  who  would  hold  religious  j)roperty, 
called  Associations  cultuelles.  The  Catholic 
churches  for  the  most  part  obeyed  the  orders  of 
the  pope,  and  absolutely  refused  to  yield,  or  to 
form  Associations  cultuelles.  Thereupon  the  re- 
public took  over  as  its  own  all  the  Catholic 
churches.  It  allows  services  to  be  held  as 
formerly,  but  they  are  held  only  on  sufferance, 
and  at  the  pleasure  of  the  state,  which  really  owns 
the  ecclesiastical  property.  It  must  be  said 
that  the  government  has  been  very  lenient  with 
the  recalcitrant  priests.  The  work  and  wor- 
ship of  the  Catholic  Church  has  been  but  little 
interfered  with,  and  whenever  the  priests  are 
willing  to  comply  with  the  law,  the  property 
will  be  in  their  hands  again. 

Of  course  state  aid  has  been  withdrawn,  and 
the  worshippers  henceforth  must  support  their 
own  worship,  as  all  the  churches  do  in  America. 
Alread}^  it  is  said,  the  self-reliance  and  spiritu- 
ality of  the  Romish  Church  has  been  increased 
by  this  withdrawal  of  the  crutch  on  which  it 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  FRANCE  93 

has  so  long  leaned,  and  the  people  are  learning 
the  grace  of  giving,  and  the  value  of  self-sup- 
port, of  which  they  have  known  so  little  in  the 
past. 

Some  of  the  priests,  and  more  of  the  people, 
offended  at  the  mediaeval  attitude  of  the  pope 
and  the  authorities  at  Rome,  in  resisting  the 
wise  decree  of  the  government,  have  broken 
away  from  the  Church;  and  the  Protestant  Re- 
formed Church  of  France,  feeling  that  these 
men  can  best  reach  with  the  Gospel  their  com- 
panions in  the  old  faith,  are  appealing  for  aid 
to  help  these  ex-priests  to  spread  the  evangeli- 
cal faith  throughout  France. 

Protestant   Work  in  France 

The  Reformed  Church  of  France. 

The  Lutheran  Church  of  France. 

The  Societe  Protestante  d'Evangelization. 

The  Paris  Foreign  Missionary  Society. 

The  Religious  Tract  Society. 

The  Societe  Evangelique  de  Genfeve. 

The  McAll  Mission. 

The  Baptist  Missionary  Union. 

The  English  Wesleyan  Church. 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century  France  at 
there  were  in  France  only  sixtv-eight  Protes-  *^^  begin- 

^  -^        <=>  ning  of  the 

tant  churches,  mostly  among  the  old  Reformed  nineteenth 
churches,    the     spiritual     descendants    of    the  ^^^t'^'^y- 
Huguenots   and   the    Lutherans.      They   were 


94  THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN   LANDS 

given  recognition  in  the  concordat  issued  by 
Napoleon,  and  were  allowed  a  certain  sum  of 
money  for  the  support  of  public  worship.  The 
fact  that  the  pastors  were  not  only  paid  by  the 
state,  but  appointed  by  the  government,  with 
little  regard  to  their  fitness  for  the  work,  natu- 
rally led  to  coldness  and  formality  in  the  Church, 
and  there  has  not  been  the  spiritual  warmth 
and  earnestness  that  would  lead  to  aggressive 
evangelistic  work  until  these  later  years,  when, 
influenced  by  the  evangelistic  meetings  of  the 
McAU  Mission  and  other  causes,  there  has 
come~to  benew  life  and  zeal  in  the  old  Prot- 
estant churches  of  France. 

When,  on  July  18,  1870,  war  was  declared 
between  France  and  Prussia,  the  pope  prophe- 
sied that  the  heretics  would  be  utterly  van- 
quished and  "a  new  glory  would  shine  upon 
the  Church  of  Rome  and  upon  its  infallible  head. 
France,  the  eldest  daughter  of  the  Church, 
would  triumph,  and  Protestantism  receive  a 
blow  from  which  she  would  never  recover.'" 
But  the  pope  did  not  prove  to  be  a  true  prophet, 
for  it  was  not  long  before  the  French  troops, 
which  had  upheld  him  in  his  temporal  power, 
were  recalled  for  the  support  of  France.  The 
French  empire  fell,  and  on  September  4,  1870, 
the  French  rej)ublic  was  proclaimed ;  on  Sep- 
tember 20,  of  the  same  year,  Victor  Emanuel  11 
entered  Rome  as  King  of  United  Italy,  and 
the    temporal  power  of   the  pope   was   ended. 


THE  GOSPEL   IN   FRANCE  95 

France,-"the  eldest  daughter  of  the  Church,"  may- 
still  be  called  a  Catholic  country,  since  the  great 
majority  of  her  inhabitants  are  nominal  ad- 
herents of  that  Church;  but  as  a  matter  of  fact, 
many  of  them  have  very  little  real  connection 
with  the  Catholic  Church;  and  the  Protestant 
churches  are  steadily  increasing  in  number  and 
power. 

There  are  now  more  than  a  thousand  Prot- 
estant churches  in  France,  including  not  only 
the  Reformed  and  Lutheran  churches,  but  also 
the  Baptist,  Wesleyan,  Methodist  Episcopal, 
and  the  Union  of  Free  Churches.  There  are 
also  the  McAU  Mission,  the  Swiss  Colportage 
Society,  the  Salvation  Army,  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association,  many  Christian  En- 
deavor societies,  and  various  groups  of  Christians 
working  in  different  places.  The  Societe 
Protestante  d'Evangelization  "  of  the  Reformed 
churches  is  also  working  throughout  P^'rance  to 
revive  the  Protestant  faith  in  the  regions  where 
it  once  flourished.  The  Paris  Foreign  Mission- 
ary Society  works  in  the  different  colonies  of 
France,  and  has  now  nearly  a  hundred  pastors 
and  preachers  in  Madagascar.  The  Religious 
Tract  Society  has  been  sending  out  many  tracts 
and  leaflets,  which  have  been  of  great  value.  A 
Catholic  priest  has  recently  said  of  one  of  its 
publications,  called  "  L'  Almanach  des  bons  Con- 
seils,"  "  It  has  given  me  great  pleasure  to  dis- 
tribute among  my  parishioners  and  their  chil- 


96 


THE   GOSPEL   IN   LATIN  LANDS 


dren  these  little  discourses,  which,  under  a  form 
so  attractive,  display  such  grand  and  beautiful 
truths." 

But  these  churches  have  serious  questions  to 
face.  The  fact  tiiat  there  is  now  absolutely  no 
religious  instruction  in  the  public  schools  seems 
to  have  weakened  the  sense  of  obligation  among 
the  young,  and  respect  for  authority  and  for  law 
and  order  seems  to  have  diminished.  There 
is  also  a  spread  of  atheism  and  materialism,  and 
a  general  drifting  away  from  all  religious  in- 
fluences, all  of  which  combine  to  make  the  work 
of  evangelizing  France  as  difficult  as  it  is  im- 
portant. 

Though  the  Protestants  in  France  are  few  in 
numbers,  yet  they  have  been  giving  generously 
for  the  support  of  the  work  in  France  and  in 
other  lands.  For  many  years  these  churches 
have  contributed  regularly  the  sum  of  seven 
million  francs  per  year.  Since  the  separation 
of  Church  and  State,  in  1907,  the  money  which 
was  supplied  to  the  churches  by  the  government 
has,  of  course,  been  withdrawn,  and  the  salaries 
of  the  pastors  must  now  be  paid  by  the  churches. 
This  they  are  cheerfully  doing,  and  also  keep- 
ing up  their  contributions  for  missionary''  work. 
But  though  the  Gospel  work  in  France  certainly 
needs  our  help  now  more  than  ever,  yet  there 
is  very  much  reason  for  encouragement.  Many 
of  the  new  methods  introduced  from  abroad  have 
helped  to  warm  up  the  somewhat  cold  services 


THE  GOSPEL    IN  FRANCE  97 

in  the  old  French  churches.  The  Gospel  hymns 
translated  by  Dr.  McAll  and  by  Pastor  Saillens 
have  taught  the  people  to  sing  the  Gospel. 
The  Gospel  boats,  too,  with  their  bright,  cheery 
chapels  and  their  pleasant  songs,  have  helped 
to  stir  the  hearts  of  the  people.  The  Salvation 
Army,  the  Sunday-school  Union,  the  Christian 
Endeavor  Society,  the  Young  Men's  and  Young 
Women's  Christian  Associations,  and  many  other 
influences  are  making  themselves  felt  in  the  life 
of  the  Protestant  Church  of  to-day,  and  we  may 
hopefully  look  for  a  stronger  and  deeper  reli- 
gious life  in  Protestant  France  in  the  coming 
days. 

7^e  McAll  Mission 

For  the  benefit  of  those  who  are  not  familiar  its  object, 
with  the  work  of  the  McAll  Mission,  we  quote 
here  their  own  statement  of  its  purpose. 
"  The  McAll  Mission,"  says  their  report,  "  is  a 
concerted,  interdenominational  movement  to 
preach  the  Gospel  in  its  simplicity  to  the  be- 
wildered, churchless  multitudes  of  France." 

The  mission  is  named  for  its  founder.  Dr.  R. 
W.  McAll.  Its  first  place  of  meeting  was  a 
little  shop  in  the  quarter  of  Paris  known  as 
Belleville,  opened  in  the  year  1872.  There  are 
to-day  more  than  a  dozen  halls,  or  "  salles,"  in 
Paris,  where  meetings  are  held,  each  of  which  is 
a  centre  of  helpfulness  for  a  whole  neighbor- 
hood.    There  are  also  centres  of  v/ork  in  many 


98 


THE  GOSPEL   IX  LATIN  LANDS 


Where  it  is 
working. 


of  tlie  larger  cities  and  towns  of  France:  in 
Liile,  Roubaix,  Amiens,  St.  Quentin,  Rouen,  and 
other  places  in  the  north;  in  Nantes,  St.  Nazaire, 
Rochefort,  La  Rochelle  in  the  west;  and  in 
Marseilles  and  Nice  in  the  south  of  France. 
There  are  also  two  river  boats,  "  or  floating 
chapels,"  supported  by  the  mission,  which  go 
up  and  down  the  rivers  and  canals  of  France, 
stopping  at  the  little  towns  and  villages  to  hold 
meetings  and  distribute  Bibles  and  Testaments; 
each  of  these  boats  has  its  little  chapel  so  ar- 
ranged that  it  can  seat  an  audience  of  nearly 
two  hundred  people. 

In  the  thirty-seven  years  since  the  mission 
was  started,  tens  of  thousands  of  meetings  have 
been  held,  thousands  of  Bibles  have  been  dis- 
tributed, a  multitude  of  children  have  been  in- 
structed, and  many  people  have  been  hopefully 
converted,  and  have  joined  themselves  to  the 
different  Protestant  churches  in  France.  It  is 
also  believed  that  the  work  of  this  mission  has 
been  an  inspiration  to  Protestant  pastors  and 
theological  students  in  France ;  and  it  has  al- 
ways worked  for  temperance,  purity,  and  Chris- 
tian homes.  Surely  a  society  whicli  can  report 
a  work  like  this  has  justified  its  existence,  and 
is  worthy  of  our  support. 

The  McAll  Mission  began,  as  other  great 
movements  have  begun,  in  a  very  humble,  sim- 
ple, almost  an  incidental,  way.  An  English 
minister,    Rev.   R.  W.   McAll,  was  taking   his 


THE  GOSPEL   IN   FRANCE  99 

summer  vacation  after  a  year  of  arduous  work, 
and  had  decided  to  spend  liis  last  four  days 
in  Paris.  It  was  a  very  short  time  to  give  to 
that  great  city,  with  all  its  history,  all  its  art 
treasures,  and  all  its  monuments  and  famous 
buildings.  The  four  days  passed  quickly,  but 
though  they  were  vacation  days,  meant  to  be 
devoted  to  sight-seeing  and  pleasure,  yet  Dr. 
McAll  felt  that  he  could  not  leave  that  gay 
city  without  making  a  special  effort  to  help,  at 
least  in  some  slight  way,  the  religious  life  of 
the  place.  Happening  to  have  with  him  a 
few  tracts,  which  he  considered  providential 
(though,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  he  had  spent  the 
last  moments  of  a  very  busy  day  before  he  left 
London  in  hurrying  to  the  Tract  Depository 
in  St.  Paul's  Churchyard  to  get  these  same 
tracts),  he  and  his  wife  determined  to  spend 
their  last  evening  in  Paris,  not  in  going  to  the 
opera,  or  to  any  other  entertainment,  but  in 
offering  tracts  and  portions  of  Scripture  to 
the  passers-by  in  Belleville,  that  suburb  which 
had  been  so  recently  the  home  of  the  "Com- 
mune." 

They  took  their  stand  near  a  great  wine  shop  The  call  to 
on  the  corner  of  the  Rue  de  Belleville,  and  Mrs.  *^°  work. 
McAll  began  by  offering  a  tract  to  the  waiter. 
To  her  joy  he  not  only  took  it,  but  begged  her 
to  enter,  saying  that  each  of  his  customers  would 
like  one.  As  she  came  out  of  the  door,  having 
distributed  her  tracts,  a  French  workingman 


100  THE  GOSPEL   IN   LATIN   LANDS 

spoke  to  Dr.  McAll  in  some  such  words  as  these: 
"  Sir,  are  you  not  a  Christian  minister  ?  If 
so,  I  have  something  of  importance  to  say  to 
you.  You  are,  at  this  moment,  in  the  midst  of 
a  district  inhabited  by  thousands  and  tens  of 
thousands  of  us  workingmen.  To  a  man  we 
have  done  with  an  imposed  religion,  a  religion 
of  superstition  and  oppression.  But  if  any  one 
would  come  to  teach  us  religion  of  another  kind, 
a  religion  of  freedom  and  earnestness,  many 
of  us  are  ready  to  listen."  This  was  in  1871, 
just  after  the  Franco-Prussian  War,  and  the 
terrible  days  of  the  Commune. 

These  words  went  to  Dr.  McAll's  heart,  and  he 
gave  the  matter  much  thought.  Did  the  Lord 
call  him  to  this  work  ?  Could  not  the  Protes- 
tant Christians  of  Paris  take  care  of  these 
neglected  districts  ?  Would  an  English  worker 
have  better  opportunities  for  this  work  because 
of  his  freedom  from  political  complications  ? 
He  had  his  own  Avork  in  England  to  which  he 
expected  to  return ;  there  were  many  good 
agencies  already  at  work  in  Paris  with  which  he 
was  in  full  sympathy.  The  French  Protestant 
churches,  though  not  as  strong  a  spiritual  force 
as  the  early  Huguenots  had  been,  were  yet  ex- 
erting a  good  influence,  and  there  were  among 
them  some  very  earnest,  spiritual-minded 
leaders.  Was  there  any  call  for  a  foreigner, 
who  knew  the  language  only  imperfectly,  to  go 
into  this  work?     The    Wesleyan    and    Baptist 


decision. 


THE  GOSPEL  JxV  FRANCE  101 

Missions  were  also  at  work  in  France.     Could 
not  they  do  what  was  iiecessar}-  ? 

Considering  thouglitfully  and  prayerfully 
such  questions  as  these,  Dr.  McAll  talked  with 
representatives  of  these  different  organizations, 
taking  much  time  to  think  out  carefully  all  the 
questions  involved ;  indeed,  it  would  seem  that 
every  question  which  could  to-day  arise  in  the 
mind  of  any  Christian  who  is  asked  to  help  in 
this  work  was  carefully  considered  by  Dr. 
McAll  before  he  made  his  decision. 

At  last,  after  weeks  and  months  of  careful  Dr.  McAil's 
thought  and  questioning,  he  and  his  advisers 
came  to  the  conclusion  that  he  was  called  to  a 
work  which  no  other  agency  was  then  doing, 
and  which  a  foreigner  could  perhaps  do  better 
than  any  one  else,  simply  because  he  was  a  for- 
eigner, and  not  allied  with  any  political  party. 
It  seemed  to  him  and  to  his  friends  that,  as  an 
Englishman,  he  would  have  opportunities  which 
would  never  arise  for  a  Frenchman.  The  fact 
that  he  would  begin  his  work  entirely  at  his  own 
expense,  and  not  under  the  protection  or  in- 
dorsement of  any  particular  missionary  society 
or  church  would  also  be  a  help.  He  would  go 
to  the  men  of  Belleville,  "simply  as  a  fellow- 
man,  disclaiming  everything  else,  and  speaking 
to  them  only  of  what  every  man  feels  in  his 
heart  because  he  is  a  man,  and  telling  them  how 
he  had  found  that  '  God  is  not  far  from  every 
man,  and  hath  not  left  himself  without  witness.' " 


102 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 


He  felt  that  they  might  listen  to  him  as  perhaps 
they  would  not  to  a  Frenchman,  with  no  sus- 
picion and  no  prejudice. 

It  was  when  Dr.  McAll  was  fifty  years  old, 
an  age  at  which  many  of  our  pastors  in  busy 
America  would  begin  to  think  about  the  "  min- 
isterial dead  line,"  that  he  took  this  "new  depart- 
ure," and  began  what  was  to  be  the  great  work 
of  his  life.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  McAll  went  first  of 
all  to  Belleville,  not  the  pleasantest  suburb  of 
Paris,  but  perhaps  one  of  the  most  uncomfort- 
able ;  but  there  they  felt  themselves  called,  and 
there  they  made  their  home,  and  began  prepara- 
tions for  the  new  work,  which  they  undertook 
entirely  at  their  own  charge,  asking  no  help 
from  any  missionary  society  or  other  organiza- 
tion except  in  the  way  of  good  advice,  which  is 
usually  freely  given. 

After  spending  two  or  three  months  in  getting 
settled  in  their  new  home,  making  preliminary 
arrangements,  and  studying  the  language,  they 
opened  their  mission  room,  and  began  the  new 
work  with  the  new  year.  The  room  was  simply 
furnished,  witli  chairs  and  a  small  harmonium, 
with  illustrated  prints  and  Bible  pictures  on 
the  walls.  Then  they  distributed  handbills  on 
which  were  printed  the  words,  "  Come  and  hear 
an  English  friend  who  desires  to  speak  to  you 
of  the  love  of  Jesus  Christ."  On  the  very  first 
evening  there  were  forty  present.  Mrs.  McAll 
presided  at  the  harmonium,  and  did  most  of  the 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  FRANCE  103 

singing  herself  at  first,  using  some  of  the  best 
of  tlie  Gospel  hymns  translated  into  French. 
Then  Dr.  McAll,  though  not  yet  very  fluent  in 
the  French  language,  spoke  to  them  simply  and 
very  briefly  of  the  love  of  Jesus,  and  at  the  close 
of  the  meeting  shook  hands  with  each  one, 
giving  them  tracts  and  inviting  them  to  come 
again.  In  this  simple  manner  the  great  work, 
which  has  now  spread  over  all  France,  was  be- 
gun, and  in  much  the  same  manner  it  has  been 
continued. 

After  a  time  other  helpers  came  to  assist  in 
the  work,  and  it  spread  to  all  parts  of  Paris, 
and  then  all  over  France.  The  meetings  are  still 
very  simple  and  informal,  consisting  largely  of 
hymns  and  of  short  addresses.  The  simple 
Gospel  hymns  seem  to  be  very  much  enjoyed  by 
the  people,  who  take  part  very  heartily  in  the 
singing.  A  very  encouraging  feature  of  the  How  the 
work  is  the  fact  that  the  week-night  meetings 
are  very  largely  attended  by  men.  It  is  made 
very  plain  to  the  attendants  that  the  McAll 
meetings  at  these  halls,  or  salles,  are  not  church 
services.  Many  of  the  meeting  places  are  shops 
on  the  wide  boulevards.  There  is  no  sermon 
except  on  Sundays,  but  the  people  are  always 
ready  to  listen  to  the  reading  of  the  Bible  and 
to  the  remarks,  and  the  meetings  close  with 
a  short  prayer.  All  religious  controversy  is 
avoided,  as  it  is  not  the  purpose  of  the  mission 
to  attack  any  church,  but  simply  to  point  out 
the  way  to  Christ. 


work  is 
conducted. 


104  THE  GOSPEL  IN  LATIN  LANDS 

As  the  work  went  on  it  was  found  advisable 
sometimes  to  hold  a  Bible  class  after  the  general 
meeting,  for  those  who  wished  to  stay,  and  often 
the  whole  audience  has  been  glad  to  remain. 
Sometimes  at  these  Bible  classes  written  ques- 
tions are  given  out  to  be  taken  home,  and  the 
answers  brought  back  show  that  the  subject  has 
received  careful  study.  It  was  found  to  be  very 
easy  to  reach  the  children,  and  Sunday-schools 
were  formed.  Mothers'  meetings,  prayer  meet- 
ings, sewing  classes,  temperance  bands,  Christian 
Endeavor  Societies,  and  other  features  have  been 
added  as  the  need  has  arisen;  and  so  the  work 
has  grown  and  broadened  and  enlarged. 

In  the  beginning,  Dr.  Mc  All  paid  all  expenses, 
as  has  been  said,  living  himself  in  a  very  simple, 
self-denying  fashion,  that  he  might  have  the 
means  to  pay  the  expenses  of  the  mission,  but 
as  the  work  enlarged  the  needs  became  greater. 
Some  of  the  Protestant  pastors  of  France  gave 
of  their  time  and  their  money,  and  English 
friends  helped  as  they  were  able.  After  a  time 
Dr.  McAll  went  to  England  and  spoke  of  the 
work  before  the  Congregational  Union  of  Eng- 
land and  Wales  at  their  annual  meeting,  and 
enlisted  many  helpers.  Dr.  Bonar  published  his 
"  White  Fields  of  France,"  and  later  appeared 
"  A  Cry  from  the  Land  of  Calvin  and  Voltaire," 
and  new  interest  was  awakened,  and  gradually 
auxiliary  McAll  Associations  were  formed  in 
England,  Switzerland,  Holland,  and  America. 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  FRANCE  105 

The  work  was  twenty  years  old  on  January  Death  of 

T\        Ayf      All 

17,  1892,  which  was  very  near  the  date  of  Dr. 
McAll's  seventieth  birtliday,  and  a  special  cele- 
bration was  held  in  Paris  at  that  time.  Dr. 
McAll  died  the  next  year,  having  lived  to  see 
the  work  expand  until  it  had  become  a  blessing 
throughout  all  France,  having  accomplished  a 
work  which  it  is  given  to  few  men  to  do,  and 
having  done  it  all  between  his  fiftieth  and  seven- 
tieth years. 

From  the  very  beginning  there  have  been 
many  who  have  been  glad  to  help  in  the  work, 
and  have  freely  given  their  services.  The  dif- 
ferent ministers  who  have  succeeded  each  other 
in  the  pastorate  of  the  American  Church  on  the 
Rue  de  Berri,  have  all  been  warm  friends  of  the 
mission,  and  have  given  frequent  addresses  at 
the  meetings.  Rev.  Theodore  Monod  was  also 
one  of  Dr.  McAll's  earliest  helpers,  and  many 
of  the  leading  Protestant  ministers  and  of  the 
most  gifted  and  consecrated  workers  have  given 
themselves  freely  to  this  service. 

Since  the  death  of  Dr.  McAll,  Rev.  C.  E.  Rev.  c.  e. 
Greig,  who  had  long  been  his  valued  assistant,  ^^^^' 
has  been  director  of  the  mission  until  the  spring 
of  1908,  when  he  resigned  his  position  as  gen- 
eral director  on  account  of  ill  health.  He  will, 
however,  continue  to  have  charge  of  the  Bercy 
Church,  and  will  still  be  a  member  of  the  Paris 
committee.  Mr.  Greig  has  been  one  of  the 
most  efi&cient  workers  ever  connected  with  the 


106 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  LATIN  LANDS 


How  the 

work 
spread. 


Where  the 
McAll  Mis- 
sion is  work- 
ing to-day. 


mission,  and  his  resignation  is  a  great  loss  to 
the  work,  though  it  is  hoped  that  he  will  still 
have  strength  to  do  the  part  of  the  work 
that  he  is  now  undertaking,  and  that  his  health 
will  improve  as  he  lays  down  the  larger  respon- 
sibilities. His  successor  has  not  at  this  writing 
been  appointed.  Rev.  Henri  Merle  d'Aubigne, 
a  nephew  of  the  great  historian,  is  the  corre- 
sponding secretary,  and  has  given  valuable  help 
to  the  work  in  many  ways. 

Though  the  work  was  at  first  confined  to 
Paris,  it  soon  spread  to  other  cities.  M.  Ru- 
ben Saillens,  having  been  led  to  prepare  himself 
for  the  work  of  an  evangelist,  attended  one  of 
the  meetings  of  the  McAll  Mission,  and  soon 
became  one  of  the  regular  helpers.  It  was  not 
long  before  he  suggested  the  carrying  of  the 
McAll  Mission  to  some  of  the  provincial  cities, 
and  a  hall  was  opened  in  Marseilles,  which  was 
so  well  attended  that  another  hall  was  soon 
opened  in  another  part  of  the  city,  through 
which  many  were  led  to  Christ. 

In  1878-79  Dr.  McAll  and  Mr.  Dods,  his  son- 
in-law,  opened  five  stations  in  the  city  of  Lyons, 
and  since  that  time  the  work  has  spread  into 
many  of  the  cities  of  France,  and  even  to  Cor- 
sica, Algiers,  and  Tunis.  There  are  in  all,  ac- 
cording to  the  latest  reports,  thirteen  stations 
of  this  mission  in  Paris,  and  twenty-three  cities 
in  other  parts  of  France  have  branches  of  the 
mission,  some  of  them  having  several  salles  in 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  FRANCE  107 

different  parts  of  the  city.  The  traveller  in 
France  to-day  who  is  interested  in  missionary 
work  may  find  McAll  meetings  in  any  of  the 
following  cities:  Amiens,  Aullene,  Bethune,  Ca- 
lais, Cognac,  Desvres,  Fives-Lille,  Grasse,  Lagny- 
sur-Marne,  La  Rochelle,  Limoges,  Lourches, 
Marseilles,  Nantes,  Nemours,  Nice,  Rochefort, 
Roubaix,  Rouen,  St.  Etienne,  St.  Nazaire,  St. 
Quentin,  St.  Yrieix. 

A  very  picturesque  part  of  the  work  of  this  The  Gospel 
mission  is  the  floating  work  done  by  the  two  °^^^" 
Gospel  boats,  Le  Bon  Messager  and  La  Bonne 
Nouvelle^  one  of  which  works  on  the  Seine  and 
its  tributaries,  and  the  other  on  the  Loire.  In 
1890  a  small  boat,  named  the  Serald  of  Mercy^ 
was  used  for  a  short  time  as  a  Gospel  boat^ 
going  down  the  river  from  Paris  to  Havre,  and 
the  next  summer  visiting  Caen  in  Normandy, 
the  work  being  followed  with  great  blessing. 
The  next  year  Mrs.  Louise  Seymour  Houghton's 
story,  "The  Cruise  o.f  the  Mystery,'''  was  pub- 
lished, a  work  of  fiction,  but  founded  on  fact, 
and  very  suggestive  in  its  foreshadowings  of 
what  might  be,  and  its  idea  has  since  been  car- 
ried out.  Le  Bon  Messager  was  built  at  Argen- 
teuil,  finished  above  as  a  floating  chapel,  and, 
since  April,  1892,  has  been  going  up  and  down 
the  Seine  and  its  tributaries,  carrying  the  simple 
Gospel  story,  and  holding  meetings  in  many 
places  that  could  not  otherwise  have  been 
reached  by  the  mission.     Thousands  of  Bibles, 


108  THE  GOSPEL   /JV  LATIN  LANDS 

Testaments,  Gospels,  tracts,  and  hymn  books 
have  been  distributed  in  this  way  through  many 
villages  along  the  river  banks.  In  1902,  just 
ten  years  after  the  Bon  Messager  Avas  built, 
through  the  gifts  of  friends,  the  Bonne  Nouvelle 
was  launched,  and  has  ever  since  been  at  work 
along  the  canals,  and  on  the  Loire  and  its  trib- 
utaries. And  so  the  good  work  continues  to 
spread,  with  ever  widening  opportunities,  in 
cities  and  towns  and  villages,  and  along  the 
beautiful  waterways  of  "  the  pleasant  land  of 
France." 

The  Baptist  Missionary  Union 
Beginning  At  the  triennial  convention  of  Baptists  in  1832 

of  Baptist  1  1      r  •      •  •       T7^  i 

missions        ^^  appeal  was  made  tor  missions  m  l*  ranee,  and 

1834.  after  some  consideration  it  was  decided  to  send 

out  Professor  Ira  Chase,  of  Newton  Theological 

Seminary,  that  he  might  look  over  the  field  and 

advise.     His  report  was  so  encouraging  that  it 

was  decided  to  begin  wofIc  ;  the  Rev.  Isaac  Wil- 

marth  was  sent  out  in  1834,  and  the  first  Baptist 

church  was  organized  in  Paris  in  1836. 

Seven  There  were  then  in   northeastern   France   a 

Baptist  fg^   scattered  communities  of  Christians,  who 

olmrfhes  tit 

in  1837.  many  years  earlier  had   separated   themselves 

from  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  who  believed 
in  immersion,  and  had  founded  their  work  on 
New  Testament  principles.  These  Christians 
heartily  welcomed  Mr.  Wilmarth  and  were 
glad  to  associate  themselves  with  the  new  Bap- 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  FRANCE  109 

tist  Mission,  which  they  greatly  strengthened. 
Within  a  few  years  Mr.  Willard,  Dr.  Sheldon, 
and  Dr.  Devan  joined  the  mission,  and  through 
their  labors  a  little  company  of  French  pastors 
was  raised  up,  who  were  appointed  missionaries 
of  the  Baptist  Union;  and  since  that  time  these 
French  pastors  have  taken  a  large  responsibility 
for  the  work,  much  of  the  time  with  no  Ameri- 
can helpers.  By  the  end  of  the  year  1837 
seven  churches  had  been  organized  and  a  French 
pastor  had  been  placed  over  each  church. 

The  early  Baptists  suffered  much  from  per-  Hindrances, 
secution.  After  the  revolution  of  1830  freedom 
of  worship  had  been  declared  in  France,  but 
new  laws  were  soon  passed  which  greatly  re- 
stricted this  freedom,  and  the  power  to  enforce 
these  laws  was  generally  given  to  Roman  Cath- 
olic officials,  who  were  under  the  control  of 
the  priests,  and  who  aimed  to  suppress  all 
Protestant  worship.  For  many  years  they  were 
not  allowed  to  hold  meetings  except  in  private 
houses,  and  not  more  than  twenty  people  might 
be  present.  Records  of  the  work  for  many 
years  are  full  of  reports  of  imprisonment  and 
fines,  and  of  persecution  in  many  ways.  As  an 
example  of  the  heroic  spirit  of  those  early  pas- 
tors, we  are  told  that  in  1846  Pastor  Besin, 
simply  because  he  had  preached  the  Gospel,  was 
led  to  prison  chained  to  a  thief. 

"  He  was  quite  happy,"  says  the   record,    "  and  im- 
proved the  time  in  exhorting  the  thief  by  his  side,  and 


110  THE  GOSPEL  IN  LATIN  LANDS 

the  gens  d'armes  who  had  charge  of  them.  At  Laoii,  in 
the  place  where  tliey  stopped  to  change,  he  placed  his  one 
free  hand  on  a  New  Testament  on  the  chimney-piece, 
saying,  '  This  is  the  Word  of  God.' 

"  '  Yes,'  was  the  laughing  answer  from  a  bystander, 
*  but  those  who  do  what  that  says  do  not  go  to  prison.' 

"  '  There,  gentlemen,  is  where  you  mistake,'  replied  M. 
Besin.  'It  is  for  having  preached  what  that  says,  that 
you  see  me  bound  with  this  chain.' 

"  At  first  the  people  could  not  believe  it,  but  the  gens 
d'armes  assured  them  it  was  even  so.  Then  suspicious 
eyes  were  turned  upon  the  garde. 

" '  It  is  not  our  affair,'  they  said.  '  We  do  as  we  were 
ordered.' 

" '  That  is  true,'  said  M.  Besin.  '  They  have  obeyed  their 
master  and  I  mine.'  And  for  a  third  time  the  irrepressi- 
ble man  preached  the  Gospel  to  those  who,  but  for  his 
imprisonment,  might  never  have  heard  it." 

With  these  French  pastors  working  in  such 
a  spirit  the  work  could  not  be  crushed  out,  and 
though  hindered  in  many  ways,  and  often  in- 
terrupted for  a  time,  it  has  been  kept  alive 
through  all  the  years.  In  1856  the  American 
missionaries  withdrew,  and  from  that  time  until 
1907  the  work  was  carried  on  wholly  by  the 
French  pastors,  with  some  financial  assistance 
from  America.  When  France  became  a  repub- 
lic, after  the  Franco-Prussian  War,  absolute  re- 
ligious freedom  was  granted,  and  the  Baptist 
work  was  soon  enlarged  and  strengthened. 
M.  Saiiiens,  The  McAll  work  which  began  in  1872  had 
ofVrench  ^^  ^  f^w  years  made  great  progress,  and  M. 
Ruben  Saiiiens,  the  son  of  an  evangelist  in  the 


THE  GOSPEL   IN   FRANCE  111 

Independent  Church  of  France,  was  invited  to  Baptist 
become  Dr.  McAll's  assistant.  The  McAU 
Mission  did  not  organize  churches,  but  simply 
held  Gospel  meetings  in  the  different  salles,  and, 
as  the  number  of  converts  increased,  Dr.  McAll 
advised  that  the  different  denominations  should 
organize  churches  of  their  own,  which  these  con- 
verts might  join.  M.  Saillens,  who  had  from 
the  first  been  in  sympathy  with  the  Baptist  be- 
lief, became  pastor  of  the  Baptist  church  in 
Rue  de  Lille,  while  still  working  with  the  McAll 
Mission.  In  1889  he  organized  the  second  Bap- 
tist church  in  Paris,  and  from  this  time  a  new 
spirit  of  earnestness  and  evangelism  began.  In 
1891  M.  Saillens  decided  to  withdraw  from  the 
McAll  Mission,  and  give  his  time  wholly  to 
Baptist  Mission  work.  He  was  elected  general 
secretary  of  the  French  Baptist  Missionary 
Committee,  with  general  supervision  of  the 
whole  work  in  France. 

The  entire  j&eld  is  now  under  the  direction  of  Franco- 
two  committees,  known  as  the  Franco-Belgcian  ^'^^gi^'^  ^.nd 

'_  _        »  Franco- 

and  Franco-Swiss  Committees,  directing  the  Swiss 
work  not  only  in  France,  but  also  in  Belgium  °^™^ 
and  French  Switzerland.  There  are  now  twenty- 
seven  Baptist  churches  in  France  under  the  care 
of  the  Baptist  Missionary  Union,  with  more  than 
two  thousand  members.  Rev.  H.  P.  McCor- 
mick  was  appointed  a  missionary  of  the  Baptist 
Union  in  1907,  and  will  make  his  headquarters 
in  Paris,  advising  and  assisting  the  churches  and 


112 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  LATIN  LANDS 


evangelists  in  different  parts  of  the  country.  He 
hopes  also  to  be  able  to  give  some  oversight  to 
the  work  in  Spain. 

An  interdenominational  summer  Bible  School 
and  Christian  Convention,  the  first  of  its  kind 
among  French-speaking  Christians,  was  held  at 
Chexbres  in  French  Switzerland  in  1907.  Many 
of  the  Swiss  churches  have  been  active  in  evan- 
gelistic work,  and  the  prospects  for  the  Baptist 
Mission  in  France  look  hopeful. 


Woman's  Work 

From  the  early  days  of  the  mission,  women 
have  had  a  share  in  the  work.  One  of  the  earliest 
of  these  workers  was  Esther  Carpenter,  a  travel- 
ling merchant,  who  carried  the  New  Testament 
with  her  other  wares,  and  preached  the  Gospel 
from  house  to  house,  A  recent  report  gives 
this  account  of  her  earnestness  in  the  work : 

"  The  priests  threatened  her,  but  she  would  not  desist. 
The  people  in  some  of  the  villages  threatened  and  perse- 
cuted her.  They  set  their  dogs  on  her.  Still  she  would 
sell  New  Testaments,  and  speak  of  the  way  of  salvation. 
More  anxious  to  serve  others  than  to  care  for  herself,  fail- 
ing funds  obliged  her  to  sell  her  faithful  beast,  and  trans- 
fer its  burden  of  light  wares  to  her  own  back.  Still  the 
New  Testament  formed  a  part  of  it,  and  still  she  talked 
as  she  went  of  salvation  through  Christ.  A  minister 
said  of  her, '  Esther  Carpenter  tvill  serve  God,  and  per- 
suade others  to  do  so,  in  spite  of  men  or  devils.'  Some 
may  criticise  her,  thinkingsiie  carried  her  sacrifice  too  far ; 
yet  I  cannot  help  thinking  that,  when  at  last  the  gifts  of 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  FRANCE  113 

uncalculating  love  are  reckoned  up,  somewhere  on  the 
iist  with  the  box  of  precious  ointment  we  shall  find 
Esther  Carpenter's  donkey." 

From  the  days  of  Esther  Carpenter  until  now 
there  have  been  found  earnest  Christian  women 
to  carry  on  their  part  of  the  work,  holding 
mothers'  meetings,  doing  Sunday-school  work, 
visiting  in  the  homes,  and  giving  valuable  help 
in  many  ways.  As  we  look  to-day  at  the  results 
of  Baptist  Missionary  work  in  France,  the  work 
of  these  earnest,  devoted  Bible  women  supported 
by  the  Baptist  Woman's  Board  must  not  be 
forgotten.  They  have  been  faithful,  efficient 
workers,  bearing  their  share  of  the  burdens,  and 
bringing  many  souls  into  the  kingdom. 

According  to  the  latest  records  of  the  Baptist  statistics. 
Mission,  the  Franco-Swiss  Committee  reports 
thirteen  ordained  preachers  and  thirty-six  un- 
ordained,  with  fifteen  churches,  of  which  five 
are  entirely  self-supporting.  The  Franco-Bel- 
gian Committee  reports  ten  ordained  pastors,  and 
thirty-seven  unordained,  with  twelve  churches, 
five  of  them  self-supporting.  There  are  also 
about  sixty  Sunday-schools  in  the  two  branches 
of  the  mission,  with  a  total  membership  of 
nearly  two  thousand. 

The   Baptist    Missionary   Society   of    Great  English 
Britain  is  also  doing  a  good  work  in  France,  ^j^^gj^o* 
mostly   in   Brittany,    with   four    English   mis- 
sionaries on  the  field,  with  nine  French  evan- 
gelists and  eight  mission  stations.     The  work 


114  THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN   LANDS 

at  Le  Guilly  is  particularly  interesting,  and  the 
mission  is  evidently  making  itself  felt.  A  gov- 
ernment inspector  lately  wrote  to  M.  Chopin, 
the  pastor,  these  words :  *'  Your  work,  humbly 
carried  on  in  that  secluded  spot,  and  your  own 
example  have  worked  wonders.  Had  we  in 
every  part  of  Brittany  men  animated  by  the 
same  enthusiasm,  what  a  mighty  change  would 
come  over  the  Breton  people  !  " 

The  work  of  this  mission  is  spreading  quietly, 
though  slowly,  and  a  spiritual  growth  is  mani- 
fest. "  We  carry  on  our  work,"  writes  a  mem- 
ber of  this  mission,  "  under  favorable  conditions, 
in  that  we  have  perfect  religious  liberty.  It  is 
true  that  there  are  many  difficulties,  —  a  grow- 
ing indifference  with  regard  to  religion  in  some 
quarters,  hostility  in  others  to  any  form  of  re- 
ligious belief,  and,  worst  of  all,  the  destructive 
results  of  our  higher  critical  school;  but  man 
cannot  live  on  negations,  and  must  find  God  at 
all  costs.  My  belief  is  that  through  all  this  in- 
credulity and  sinfulness  the  country  is  groping 
in  the  dark  toward  a  purer  atmosphere  and  a 
clearer  faith." 

Methodist  Episcopal  Missions 

Methodist  At  the  request  of  Bishop  Burt,  who  has  charge 

of  the  Methodist  work  in  Italy  and  Switzerland, 
the  board  began  a  new  missionary  work  in  France 

Five  centres  in  1906.  In  the  early  part  of  1907  work  was 
opened  in  five  centres :  Marseilles  and  Toulon, 


Missions. 


of  work. 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  FRANCE  115 

Lyons  and  St.  Elienne,  Grenoble  and  Vienne, 
Chambery  and  Moutiers,  and  Avignon.  All 
of  these  stations  are  in  the  care  of  pastors  from 
French  Switzerland.  The  work  is  beginning 
very  hopefully,  and  the  mission  feels  that  it 
has  been  divinely  guided  in  opening  the  work  in 
this  southern  section  of  France,  where  there 
are  few  other  Protestant  workers.  Tliis  mis- 
sion includes  the  two  largest  cities  of  France 
outside  of  Paris.  The  opportunities  for  work 
are  very  promising,  and  in  each  of  these  cities 
there  seems  to  be  special  reason  for  hopefulness. 
At  Lyons,  there  will  be  not  only  meetings  in 
French,  but  also  for  Germans;  at  Marseilles 
there  will  be  meetings  in  Italian  as  well  as  in 
French,  as  there  are  no  less  than  one  hundred 
and  fifty  thousand  Italians  in  that  city. 

Avignon  was  the  home  of  the  popes  in  the 
days  of  the  so-called  "  Babylonian  Captivity," 
and  has  many  times  been  the  scene  of  bitter 
party  strife.  The  old  city  walls  built  by  the 
popes  are  still  well  preserved,  and  the  palace 
of  the  popes  is  being  converted  into  a  museum. 
There  is  naturally  a  strong  Catholic  sentiment 
there,  but  the  missionaries  are  already  finding 
many  who  are  glad  to  listen  to  a  pure  Gospel. 
Grenoble  was  the  seat  of  the  Inquisition  for 
the  examination  and  punishment  of  the  Wal- 
denses  from  1369  to  1601.  It  is  now  the  seat 
of  a  university  attended  by  many  foreigners. 
In  all  of  these  places  there  are  many  listeners, 


116 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN   LANDS 


and  earnest  workers  are  pushing  forward  the 
work. 


The  SoeiStS  EvangSlique  de   Geneve 

This  Swiss  society  is  also  doing,  a  good  work 
in  France,  in  sending  out  colporteurs  all  through 
the  country,  who  distribute  Bibles  and  Testa- 
ments and  religious  tracts,  and  preach  the  Gos- 
pel wherever  they  go.  These  earnest,  evange- 
listic colporteurs  have  had  to  endure  hardness 
in  the  work,  being  often  met  with  indifference 
and  coldness,  sometimes  turned  away  from  the 
door,  and  sometimes  ill  treated;  but,  though 
meeting  with  many  ciiscouragements,  they  are 
faithful  in  the  work,  and  have  been  instrumen- 
tal in  leading  many  souls  to  Christ. 

During  the  year  1908  forty-five  of  these  col- 
porteurs were  sent  out,  receiving  only  small 
salaries,  while  twenty-eight  voluntary  workers 
also  went  forth,  and  more  than  fifty  thousand 
Bibles,  Testaments,  or  Scripture  portions  were 
sold,  besides  many  tracts  and  Christian  books 
and  almanacs.  Many  Gospel  meetings  have 
been  held,  and  much  individual  Christian  work 
has  been  done,  and  among  all  the  organiza- 
tions working  in  France,  perhaps  none  has  done 
a  more  earnest,  spiritual  work  than  this  Swiss 
Colportage  Society,  which  also  asks  for  aid 
from  friends  of  the  work  in  America. 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  FRANCE  117 

TRAVELLERS'  GUIDE  TO  MISSIONS  IN  FRANCE 

McAll  Mission 

Paris  Stations. 

Salle  Baltimore,  8  Boulevard  Bonne  Nouvelle. 

Salle  New  York,  1  Rue  du  Temple. 

Maison  Yerte,  129  Rue  Marcadet,  Montmartre. 

90  Rue  d'AUeraagne,  La  Villette. 

13  Rue  de  La  Lancette,  Bercy.     (Rev.  C.  E.  Greig.) 

142  Rue  du  Faubourg-St.-Antoine. 

19  Rue  de  L'Avre,  Grenelle. 

157  Rue  St.  Charles,  Javel. 

157  Rue  Nationale. 

8  Rue  Danton,  Kremlin-Bicetre.     (Rev.  Merle  d'Au- 

bigne.) 
6  Rue  St.  Etienne  Dolet,  Menilmontant. 
4  Rue  Solferino,  Aubervilliers. 
105  Rue  Yeron,  Alfortville. 

Pkovincial  Stations. 

Amiens,  54  Rue  des  Archers. 

Aullene  and  Ajaccio. 

Bethune,  Rue  de  La  Gendarmerie. 

Calais,  51  Rue  Galilee. 

Calais,  Rue  Deneuville. 

Cognac  (Haute-Yienne). 

Desvres,  Rue  du  Temple. 

Fives-Lille,  165  Rue  Pierre  le  Grand. 

Grasse,  21  Place  aux  Aires. 

Lagny-sur-Marne,  9  Rue  St.  Denis. 

La  Rochelle,  6  Rue  du  Temple. 

Limoges,  5  bis  Rue  Cruveiller. 

Lourches,  Rue  de  La  Mairie. 

Marseilles,  40  Quai  du  Port,  35  Boulevard  Vauban,  10 

Rue  Bernard. 
Nantes,  Avenue  Metzinger. 
Nemours,  7  Rue  du  Champ  de  Mars. 


118  THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 

Nice,  22  Rue  Lunel. 

Rochefort,  30  Rue  du  Champ  de  Foire. 

Roubaix,  123  Boulevard  de  Belfort. 

Rouen. 

St.  Jfitienne,  7  Place  Fourneyron. 

St.  Quentiii,  11  Rue  Thiers. 

St.  Yrieix,  26  Avenue  de  Chaltis. 

St.  Nazaire,  Rue  de  Cran. 

Baptist  Missionary  Union 

Headquarters  in  Paris  :  Rev.  H.  P.  McCormick,  Gen- 
eral Director.  Franco-Belgian  Committee,  M.  Cadot ; 
Franco-Swiss  Committee,  M.  Saillens. 

Churches  in  Paris,  Rue  Meslay  and  Rue  de  Lille. 

Stations  in  Roubaix,  Turcoing,  Nice,  Lyons,  Nimes, 
Marseilles.  Also  at  Charleroi  in  Belgium,  and  at 
Tramelan,  and  Chaux  de  Fonds  in  Switzerland. 

English  Baptist  Missionary  Society 

Stations  in  Brittany  :  Le  Guilly,  Lanneanou,  Lafeuillee, 
Primel. 

Methodist  Episcopal  Missions 

Lyons,  Rev.  Charles  Thiele,  Quai  de  I'Est  6. 
Avignon,  Rev.  Arthur  J.  Langlois,  Rue  des  Lices  24. 
Marseilles,     Rev.     A.    H.    Lambert,    Boulevard     des 

Dames,  45. 
Grenoble,  Rev.  Gustav  Lieure,  Place  St.  Claire,  10. 
Chambe'ry,  Rev.  Edouard  Vidouez,  Rue  de  Boigne,  14. 

TOPICS   FOR  FURTHER   STUDY 

For  Individuals  or  for  Women's  Clubs 

The  Saints  of  France  and  their  Influence.    (St.  Martin 
of  Tours,  St.  Denis,  St.  Genevieve,  etc.) 
The  Benedictine  Monks  in  France. 
Effect  of  the  Crusades  upon  France. 


THE  GOSPEL   IN   FRANCE  119 

Feudalism  and  Chivalry  in  France. 
The  Year  1000  in  France. 
Calvin  and  the  Huguenots. 

Revolutions  and  what  they  have  done  for  France. 
What  America  owes  to  France. 
The  Church  and  State  in  France. 
Influence  of  French  Art. 

Present  Conditions  in  France,  —  Political,  Educational, 
Religious. 

FOR  NEIGHBORHOOD  READING  CIRCLES 

Poetry. 

Longfellow's  "  Belfry  of  Bruges." 

Southey's  "Joan  of  Arc." 

Macaulay's  "  Ballad  of  Ivry." 

Lang's  "  Ballads  and  Lyrics  of  Old  France." 

Fiction. 

"  Mary  of  Burgundy."    James. 

"Jacquerie."     James. 

"Joan  of  Arc."     Mark  Twain. 

"  Quentin  Durward."     Scott. 

"  A  Lily  of  France."     Caroline  Atwater  Mason. 

«  Tale  of  Two  Cities."     Dickens. 

"  Les  Miserables."     Victor  Hugo. 

"How  They  Kept  the  Faith."     Grace  Raymond. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

"  The  Growth  of  the  French  Nation."     Professor  G.  B. 
Adams,  Yale  University. 

Barnes's  "  Brief  History  of  France." 

"  Histoire  de  France."     Henri  Martin. 

"  History  of  Christianity."     J.  S.  C.  Abbott. 

"  The  Church  of  France."     Rev.  W.  Jervis. 

"  Church  and  State  in  France,  1300-1907."     Galton. 

"  History  of  the  Huguenots."     Baird. 


120  THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 

"  Henry  of  Navarre  and  the  Huguenots."   W.  W.  Freir. 
Russel's   "  Essay  on  the  Cause  of  the  French  Revo- 
lution." 

Carlyle's  "French  Revolution." 
Abbott's  "  Life  of  Napoleon." 

ILLUSTRATIVE   SELECTIONS 
The  Papal  Church  in  History 

The  Papal  Church  presents  two  aspects  quite  different 
from  each  other.  The  one  is  that  of  a  spiritual  and  prac- 
tical religion,  in  whicli  that  branch  of  the  Church  of 
Christ  has  furnished  some  of  the  most  lovely  exhibitions 
of  piety  the  world  has  ever  seen.  Fenelon  and  Pascal 
were  among  the  noblest  of  the  disciples  of  the  Redeemer. 
Through  all  the  dark  ages  of  the  Church  there  have  been 
a  multitude,  which  no  man  can  number,  who  have  fol- 
lowed their  Saviour,  even  to  the  cross,  in  His  lowly  life 
of  benevolence,  and  His  self-sacrifice  for  others.  The 
Catholic  Church  was,  for  centuries,  almost  the  only  or- 
ganized representative  of  the  religion  of  Jesus.  It  con- 
tained within  its  bosom  all  the  piety  there  was  on  earth. 
These  humble  Christians,  sometimes  buried  and  almost 
smothered  beneath  the  ceremonies  which  the  Church  im- 
posed upon  them,  manifested  through  life  the  true  spirit 
of  Jesus,  and  passed  away  in  death,  triumphant  to  their 
crowns. 

But  there  is  another  aspect  in  which  the  Papal  Church 
presents  itself  upon  the  pages  of  history.  It  is  that  of 
a  political  organization,  grasped  by  ambitious  men,  and 
wielded  by  them  as  an  instrument  for  personal  aggran- 
dizement. The  Bishop  of  Rome  claiming  to  stand  in 
God's  stead,  with  power  to  admit  to  heaven  or  to  consign 
to  hell,  became,  in  many  cases,  a  conspirator  with  kings 
and  princes  to  enthrall  mankind. — J.  S.  C.  Abbott. 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  FRANCE  121 

PEASANTS  AND  THE   CATHOLIC   CHURCH 

In  France  alone,  at  the  beginning  of  the  eleventh 
century,  there  were  1434  monasteries.  Poverty  was  uni- 
versal. The  cottages  of  the  peasants  were  mere  hovels, 
without  windows,  damp  and  airless  —  wretched  kennels 
in  which  the  joyless  inmates  crept  to  sleep.  By  the  side 
of  these  abodes  of  want  and  woe  the  Church  rose  in  pala- 
tial splendor,  with  its  massive  walls,  its  majestic  spire, 
its  spacious  aisles,  and  its  statuary  and  paintings.  The 
whole  population  of  the  village  could  assemble  beneath 
its  vaulted  ceiling.  It  was  the  poor  man's  palace;  he 
felt  that  it  belonged  to  him.  There  he  received  his  bride. 
In  the  churchyard  he  laid  his  dead.  The  church  bell 
rang  merrily  on  festal  days,  and  tolled  sadly  when  sor- 
row crushed.  Life's  burden  weighed  heavily  on  all 
hearts.  To  the  poor,  unlettered,  ignorant  peasant  the 
Church  was  everything ;  its  religious  pageants  pleased  his 
eye ;  the  ch  urch  door  was  ever  open  for  his  devotions ; 
the  sanctuary  was  his  refuge  in  danger ;  its  massive 
grandeur  filled  his  heart  with  pride ;  its  gilded  shows 
and  stately  ceremonies  took  the  place  of  amusements;  the 
officiating  priests  and  bishops  presented  to  his  reverential 
eyes  an  aspect  almost  divine.  We  see  the  remains  of 
this  deep  reverence  in  the  attachment  to  their  forms  of 
religion  of  nearly  all  the  peasantry  of  Catholic  Europe  at 
the  present  day.  —  Abbott's  "  History  of  Christianity." 

AFTER   ST.   BARTHOLOMEW'S   DAY 

The  pope  received  the  tidings  of  the  massacre  of  St. 
Bartholomew  with  exultation,  and  ordered  the  most  im- 
posing religious  ceremonies  in  Rome  in  gratitude  for  the 
achievement.  The  papal  courts  of  Spain  and  of  the 
Netherlands  sent  thanks  to  Charles  and  Catherine  for 
having  thus  eifectually  purged  France  of  heresy.  But 
Protestant  Europe  was  stricken  with   indignation.-.  .  . 


122  THE   GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 

Protestantism  in  France  has  never  recovered  from  this 
blow.  But  for  this  massacre,  one-half  of  the  nobles  of 
France  would  have  continued  Protestant.  The  reform- 
ers would  soon  have  constituted  so  large  a  portion  of  the 
population  that  mutual  toleration  would  have  been  nec- 
essary. Intelligence  would  have  been  diffused,  religion 
would  have  been  respected,  and,  in  all  probability,  the 
horrors  of  the  French  Revolution  would  have  been 
averted.  ...  As  we  see  the  priests  of  Paris  and  of 
France,  during  the  awful  tragedy  of  the  Revolution, 
hung  upon  the  lamp  posts,  massacred  in  the  prisons, 
shot  in  the  streets,  and  driven  in  starvation  and  woe 
from  the  kingdom,  we  cannot  but  remember  the  day 
of  St.  Bartholomew.  The  2-ith  of  August,  1572,  and 
the  2d  of  September,  1792,  though  far  apart  in  the 
records  of  time,  are  consecutive  days  in  the  government 
of  God. —  Abbott's  "History  of  Christianity." 


IMPORTANT   DATES   IN   THE   HISTORY   OF 
SPAIN 

Sixth  Century  B.C.     Phcenicians  and  Carthaginians  set- 
tled in  Spain. 
Third  Century  B.C.     Carthaginians  occupied  nearly  half 

the  peninsula. 
19.  B.C.     Spain  a  Roman  province. 
414.     Visigoths  in  Spain. 
711.     Visigoths  overthrown  by  the  Saracens. 
873-1248.     The  kingdoms  of  Navarre,  Castile,  Aragon, 

Leon,  Asturias,   Cordova,  Toledo,  and  Seville 

established. 
1479.     Marriage  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella.    Aragon  and 

Castile  united. 
1491.     Capitulation  of  Granada. 
1516-1556.     Charles  V.  reigned. 
1556-1598.     Philip  II.  king.     Protestantism  crushed  out 

by  the  Inquisition. 
1665-1700.     Charles  II.,  last  of  the  Hapsburg  princes. 
1701-1714.     War  of  the  Spanish  Succession. 
1714.     Beginning  of  the  Bourbon  dynasty. 
1808-1814.     Joseph  Napoleon  king. 
1814-1868.     Bourbons  again  on  the  throne. 
1868-1874.     A  regency — a  monarchy,  under  Amadeus 

—  a  Republic. 
1874.     Restoration  of  the  Bourbons  under  Alfonso  XII. 
1886.     Alfonso  XIII.  king. 


124 


CHAPTER   III 

THE   GOSPEL   IN   SPAIN,   AUSTRIA,   AND 
PORTUGAL 

PART   I 

The  Gospel  in  Spain 

1.    The  Story  of  Spain 

One  who  would  understand  the  story  of 
Spain  should  begin  by  studying  the  geography 
of  the  country.  Surrounded  as  it  is  on  three 
sides  by  the  sea,  and  shut  in  on  the  north  by 
the  lofty  Pyrenees,  it  is  not  only  isolated  from 
other  nations,  but  the  country  itself  is  divided 
into  distinct  regions  separated  from  each  other 
by  mountain  ranges,  and  by  very  different  con- 
ditions of  climate,  thus  tending  to  make  many 
separate  peoples,  having  in  early  years  little  to 
bind  them  together  as  a  nation.  A  modern 
historian  ^  thus  describes  the  inhabitants  of  the 
different  provinces  of  Spain: 

"  A  study  of  the  characters  of  the  Gallego  and  the   Character- 
Asturian  reveals  the   history  of  their   provinces   better 
than   pages  of   description  would   do.     The  minds  and 
persons  of   the   inhabitants   clearly  prove  that  Moorish 
or  Arab  blood  forms  a  small  part  of  their  composition, 

1  Martin  A.  S.  Hume. 
125 


126  THE   GOSPEL   IN  LATIN   LANDS 

and  though  they  speak  a  Latin  tongue  more  closely 
approaching  the  ancient  speech  of  Rome  than  does  the 
Castilian,  yet  little  of  the  Latin  is  in  their  race.  The 
somewhat  dreamy,  poetic  Celt,  with  his  vivid  imagina- 
tion and  love  of  home  and  family,  is  in  the  Gallego  tem- 
pered by  a  large  admixture  of  a  strong  Germanic  stock, 
which  makes  him  laborious,  patient,  and  enduring.  .  .  . 
Compare  again  this  Gallego  or  Asturian  with  the  Valen- 
cian,  and  it  will  be  seen  that  in  the  latter  both  the  Celtic 
and  Germanic  elements  are  comparatively  insignificant, 
and  are  swamped  by  the  Semitic.  The  Valencian  also 
speaks  a  dialect  of  Latin  resembling  that  of  his  racial 
cousin,  the  Proven9al.  He  is  vehement  of  gesture  and 
superstitious ;  a  man  whose  Christianity  is  to  a  large 
extent  an  adaptation  of  his  forbears;  fond  of  luxury  and 
bright  colors,  he  is  obviously  the  direct  descendant  of 
Phoenicians,  Carthaginians,  Greeks,  and  Arabs  ;  and  the 
influence  of  his  descent  may  be  traced  in  every  action 
of  his  life.  To  the  north  of  him  his  neighbor,  the  Cata- 
lan, possesses  a  much  greater  Germanic  and  Latin  and 
less  of  the  Moorish  element  than  his  brother  of  Valencia. 
Hard  working,  independent,  turbulent,  and  grasping,  the 
Catalan  character  explains  not  only  to  what  extent  and 
by  whom  the  province  has  been  dominated,  but  also  the 
actions  of  the  inhabitants  from  the  dawn  of  history  to 
the  present  day.  Of  the  pleasure-loving,  passionate 
Latin  and  Berber  of  Andalusia,  of  the  grave,  haughty, 
and  magnanimous  Celtiberian  Latin  of  Castile,  of  the 
pure-blooded  Basque  of  Biscay  and  Navarre,  a  similar 
story  may  be  told." 

The  The    earliest  inhabitants  of  Spain  of    whom 

Ceitiberians.  ^^^  have  any  knowledge  were  the  Celts  and 
Iberians.  We  know  very  little  of  their  religion. 
Of  their  character  it  has  been  said,  "  The  Cei- 
tiberians were  brave  and  hardy,  contemptuous 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  SPAIN  127 

of  pain  and  danger,  and  inspired  from  their 
very  infancy  with  an  almost  passionate  love  of 
personal  independence." 

But  the  Celtiberians  were  not  long  allowed  Phoenicians 
to  possess  the  land.  As  early  as  the  sixth  cen-  ^^  ^^^' 
tury  B.C.,  perhaps  even  earlier,  the  Phoenicians 
founded  Carthage  on  the  northern  shores  of 
Africa,  and  then  pushed  on  beyond  the  "  Pil- 
lars of  Hercules  "  into  the  Atlantic,  and  founded 
the  city  of  Cadiz  in  Spain.  In  the  third  cen- 
tury B.C.  more  Phoenicians  came  over  from 
Carthage  and  gradually  spread  over  nearly  half 
the  peninsula. 

At  the  close  of  the  Punic  wars,  the  Romans,  Romans, 
having  conquered  the  Carthaginians,  took  pos- 
session of  all  their  colonies  in  Spain,  and  this 
country  became  a  part  of  the  great  Roman  Em- 
pire. Then  came  the  Vandals  and  Sueves  and  Vandals, 
other  tribes,  and  settled  in  the  northwest  corner 
of  Spain.  The  Goths  followed  them,  and  hav- 
ing conquered  them  formed  a  Visigothic  king- 
dom in  Spain  about  414  A.D.,  leaving  little 
trace  of  the  Vandals  in  the  land  except  in  the 
name  Andalusia  (then  Vandalos). 

In  the  year  711  came  the  Saracens,  who  drove  Saracens 
out  the  Goths  and  soon  obtained  possession  of 
almost  the  whole  peninsula,  except  the  little 
Christian  kingdom  of  Asturias  in  the  mountains 
of  the  north.  Cordova  was  made  the  capital, 
and  for  nearly  three  centuries  the  country  was 
ruled  by  the  Omiyad  line   of  caliphs,  until  the 


128 


THE   GOSPEL  IN  LATIN  LANDS 


Spain  in 
the  tenth 
century. 


Ferdinand 
and  Isabella. 


Saracens  were  conquered  by  the  Moors  in  the 
eleventh  century. 

In  the  tenth  century  Spain  was  known  as  a 
centre  of  learning,  and  the  beginnings  of  the 
science  of  chemistry  are  dated  back  to  the  Sara- 
cenic alchemists  of  Spain.  We  owe  to  them  also 
our  Arabic  figures,  and  such  words  as  "  algebra," 
"  alcohol,"  "  alchemy,"  "  zenith,"  "  nadir,"  etc. 

When  the  Saracens  conquered  Spain,  the 
Christian  kingdoms  were  nearly  crushed  out; 
but  during  the  Middle  Ages  the  Christians 
gradually  won  back  much  of  what  had  been 
lost,  and  the  Moors  lost  most  of  their  posses- 
sions in  Spain,  though  they  still  held  Granada. 
The  kingdom  of  Navarre  was  established  in 
873,  the  kingdom  of  Castile  in  1026,  the  king- 
dom of  Aragon  in  1035;  in  1037  Leon  and 
Asturias  were  added,  and  between  the  years 
1234  and  1248  Cordova,  Toledo,  and  Seville 
also  became  kingdoms. 

When  Ferdinand  of  Aragon  married  Isabella 
of  Castile,  their  union  joined  two  of  the  most 
powerful  kingdoms  in  Spain.  They  at  once  be- 
gan a  fierce  campaign  against  the  Moors,  and  in 
1491  Granada  capitulated,  and  the  last  of  the 
Mohammedan  possessions  in  Spain  were  wrested 
away.  This  forms  a  great  epoch  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  country,  and  from  the  marriage  of 
Ferdinand  and  Isabella,  and  the  conquest  of 
Granada,  dates  the  beginning  of  the  Kingdom 
OF  Spain.     It  is  interesting  to  remember  that 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  SPAIN  129 

three  days  after  the  surrender  of  Granada, 
Columbus,  who  had  for  a  long  time  been  asking 
the  aid  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella  in  his  grand 
project  of  finding  a  new  route  to  India,  at  last 
received  their  formal  agreement  to  his  request, 
and  soon  sailed  away  from  that  fair  land,  to 
win  in  the  New  World  new  possessions  for 
Spain. 

When  Joanna,  the  daughter  of  Ferdinand 
and  Isabella,  married  Philip,  Archduke  of 
Austria,  son  of  the  Emperor  Maximilian,  and 
their  son  became  Don  Carlos  I.  of  Spain,  it 
was  the  beginning  of  misfortune  and  disaster 
for  the  country.  At  this  time  the  Spanish 
kingdom  included  Naples,  Sicily,  Sardinia,  and 
all  the  possessions  in  America  which  Columbus 
and  other  discoverers  had  claimed  in  the  name 
of  Spain.  In  1519,  on  the  death  of  Maximilian,  Charles  v. 
Charles  inherited  all  the  possessions  of  the 
House  of  Hapsburg  in  Austria  ;  he  was  also 
elected  emperor  of  Germany,  and  was  crowned 
at  Aix-la-Chapelle  in  1520  as  Charles  V. 
Though  he  was  then  only  twenty  years  of  age, 
yet  his  empire  was  larger  than  that  of  either 
Alexander  or  Augustus. 

At  this  time  Protestant  doctrines  had  already  Spain  and 
begun  to  spread  in  Europe,  and  it  was  Charles  ^at^n^^"^" 
v.,  incited  by  Pope  Leo  X.,  who  summoned  a 
diet  of  German  princes  at  the  city  of  Worms, 
and  cited  Luther  to  appear  before  it.     Though 
he  refused  to  retract,  and  was  dismissed  with 


130  THE   GOSPEL   IN  LATIN   LANDS 

a  safe-conduct  from  Charles  himself,  yet  the 
emperor  promised  "  to  use  all  endeavors  to 
extirpate  the  heresy."  The  Reformation  con- 
tinued to  spread,  however,  and  the  Protestant 
princes  of  Germany  formed  a  league  for  mutual 
protection.  The  Council  of  Trent  was  con- 
vened against  the  Protestants  in  1545,  and  war 
soon  broke  out  between  Catholics  and  Protes- 
tants. The  emperor  was  at  first  triumphant, 
but  his  despotism  and  tyranny  excited  so  much 
animosity  that  others  joined  the  Protestant 
leaders,  and  he  was  at  last  compelled  to  sign 
the  Treaty  of  Passau,  giving  freedom  of  religion 
to  Protestants,  which  was  formally  sanctioned 
by  the  Diet  of  Augsburg  in  1555.  In  1556 
Charles  resigned  the  throne  of  Spain  and  the 
Netherlands  to  his  son  Philip  II.,  and  the  im- 
perial crown  to  his  brother  Ferdinand,  and 
retired  to  a  monastery  to  end  his  days. 
Philip  II.  The  Netherlands  had  accepted  the   doctrines 

of  the  Reformation,  and  Philip  II.,  seeing  that 
the  spread  of  these  doctrines  would  lead  to  a 
separation  between  the  Netherlands  and  Spain, 
determined  to  root  out  this  heresy;  and  calling 
the  powers  of  the  Inquisition  to  his  aid,  sent 
out  the  Duke  of  Alva,  a  fierce  and  cruel  man, 
to  crush  out  Protestantism  in  the  land.  The 
Dutch  rose  against  him  under  the  lead  of 
William  of  Orange,  and  after  a  bitter  contest, 
lasting  many  years,  Spain  was  defeated,  and 
the  independence   of  the  Dutch  republic   was 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  SPAIN  131 

acknowledged  by  the  Peace  of  Westphalia  in 
1648. 

Philip  II.  married  Queen  Mary  of  England, 
and  though  he  was  allowed  no  political  power 
in  that  country,  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  he 
influenced  Mary  in  her  cruel  persecution  of  the 
Protestants.  When  her  successor,  Queen  Eliza- 
beth, established  Protestantism  as  the  state  re- 
ligion, and  in  her  turn  began  persecuting  the 
Catholics,  Spain  sent  out  against  England  The 
that  greatest  fleet  ever  known  up  to  that  time,   invincible 

°  ^  Armada. 

called  the  "  Invincible  Armada,"  of  which  but  a 
third  part  returned  to  Spain  to  tell  the  wretched 
story  of  their  disasters.  The  success  of  Eng- 
land was  regarded  as  a  triumph  of  the  Protes- 
tant cause  in  Europe,  and  not  only  helped  to 
establish  the  independence  of  the  Dutch,  and 
strengthened  the  Huguenots  in  France,  but 
destroyed  the  great  power  which  had  belonged 
to  Spain. 

In  the  days  of  Oliver  Cromwell  the  Spanish 
were  defeated  both  by  land  and  sea  ;  the  Eng- 
lish took  Jamaica,  and  since  that  time,  one  by 
one,  all  of  the  Spanish  possessions  in  America 
have  been  wrested  from  her. 

Charles  II.,  who  died  in  1700,  bequeathed  War  of  the 
the   succession  to  Philip    of    Anjou,    grandson  succession, 
of  Louis  XIV.,  thus  giving  the  real  power  to 
France,  since   Philip   was  a   mere    boy.     Ger- 
many, England,  Holland,  and  Prussia  united  to 
prevent  the  union  of  two  such  powerful  nations. 


132 


THE  GOSPEL    IN  LATIN  LANDS 


Beginning 
of  tbe 
Bourbon 
dynasty. 


Loss  of  the 

American 

colonies. 


and  the  War  of  the  Spanish  Succession  was 
waged  from  1701  to  1714.  It  was  during  this 
war  that  the  English  took  Gibraltar,  which 
they  have  held  ever  since.  The  war  was 
ended  by  the  Treaty  of  Utrecht ;  Philip  of 
Anjou  was  crowned  king  of  Spain  as  Philip  V., 
and  thus  began  the  Bourbon  dynasty,  which 
has  ever  since  remained  in  power  in  Spain  wdth 
two  short  interruptions. 

The  first  interruption  was  during  the  years 
1808-14,  when  Napoleon  placed  his  brother 
Joseph  on  the  throne.  It  was  at  this  time  that 
the  Spanish  colonies  in  South  America,  which 
had  already  shown  signs  of  dissatisfaction,  de- 
clared their  independence.  There  was  little 
communication  between  the  different  countries 
of  South  America,  and  no  definite,  concerted 
plan  of  revolt ;  but  in  1810  Venezuela,  then 
Buenos  Ayres  and  New  Granada  declared  their 
independence,  and  within  a  few  years  most  of 
the  other  countries  of  South  America  followed 
their  example. 

The  second  interruption  of  the  Bourbon  rule 
was  between  1868  and  1874,  when  a  monarchy, 
under  Amadeus,  and  then  a  republic  were  suc- 
cessively established. 

In  1874  Alfonso  XII.  came  to  the  Spanish 
throne,  restoring  the  Bourbon  rule.  After  his 
death  in  November,  1885,  his  elder  daughter 
was  queen  for  a  short  time  until  the  birth  of 
the  little  heir  to  the  throne  on  May  17,  1886. 


THE  GOSPEL   IN   SPAIN  133 

Many  of  the  people  were  much  disturbed  when 
the  queen  mother  insisted  upon  naming  her 
little  son  Alfonso,  since  he  would  have  to  be 
known  as  Alfonso  XIII.,  and  many  were  the  Alfonso 
doubts  about  the  worthiness  and  ability  of  -^^^^• 
Queen  Christina  as  regent  ;  but  she  performed 
her  duties  faithfully  and  loyally,  though  a 
bigoted  and  intolerant  Catholic,  until  the  day 
when  the  young  king  was  crowned  as  Alfonso 
XIII.  of  Spain.  It  was  in  the  spring  of  1898, 
during  the  childhood  of  Alfonso,  that  war  was 
declared  between  Spain  and  the  United  States, 
by  which  Spain  lost  all  lier  possessions  in  the 
West  Indies  and  the  Philippines.  The  story 
of  the  last  century  in  Spain  has  been  a  record 
of  loss  and  disaster ;  but  it  may  be  that  these 
losses  will  prove  in  the  end  a  blessing.  Already 
the  country  is  making  rapid  progress  toward 
greater  freedom  in  religion,  and  more  enlight- 
enment of  the  people,  and  the  prospects  for  the 
future  under  the  young  king  and  queen  are 
hopeful. 

2.     The   Catholic   Church  in  Spain 

"  Whensoever  I  take  my  journey  into  Spain,   Pani  in 
I  will  come  to  you  ;  for  I  trust  to  see  you  in  my  Spam? 
journey,  and  to  be  brought  on  my  way  thither- 
ward by  you."     So  wrote  Paul  to  the    Cliris- 
tians  in  Rome,  but  whether  he  was  ever  able  to 
make  that  journey  into  Sj^ain,  we  do  not  certainly 


134  THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 

know.  Many  scholars  have  believed,  however, 
that  it  was  Paul  who  carried  the  Gospel  to  that 
land.  Clement  of  Rome,  who  wrote  less  than 
fifty  years  after  the  death  of  Paul,  tells  us  that 
Paul  "  taught  righteousness  to  the  whole  worhl 
and  reached  the  boundary  of  the  West."  The 
boundary  of  the  West  as  known  in  Clement's 
day  must  have  been  at  least  as  far  west  as  Gi- 
braltar. Irenteus,  too,  wrote  in  the  second  cen- 
tury of  "  churches  which  have  been  planted  in 
Spain."  The  Spanish  people  themselves,  how- 
ever, claim  James  as  their  patron  saint,  and 
they  have  legends  and  traditions  of  his  visit  to 
Spain,  though  it  is  doubtful  whether  he  ever 
saw  that  country. 
Early  But  however  it  began,  it  is  certain  that  at 

Christians  ,  -1,1  /~m     •    ,  • 

in  Spain.  ^  very  early  period  there  were  Christians  in 
Spain,  though  we  know  little  about  them  until 
toward  the  middle  of  the  third  century.  Then 
we  learn  that  there  were  faithful  Christians  in 
not  a  few  places,  and  some  also  who  were  con- 
sidered heretics.  We  also  learn  that  paganism 
was  still  a  power  in  Spain,  for  Christians  were 
persecuted  and  slain,  and  many  were  tempted 
not  only  by  the  idolatry,  but  by  the  immorality 
of  paganism.  We  learn,  also,  from  the  earliest 
authentic  letters  that  at  the  beginning  of  the 
fourth  century  churches  had  been  long  estab- 
lished, and  some  splendid  ecclesiastical  buildings 
had  already  been  erected. 

Spain  has  a  long  record  of  early  martyrs,  es- 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  SPAIN  135 

pecially  during  the  days  of  Diocletian.  The 
tales  of  the  martyrs  were  written  by  Pruden- 
tius,  and  though  doubtless  there  is  much  of 
legend  mixed  with  the  truth  in  his  poems,  yet 
they  bring  vividly  before  us  those  dreadful 
times  in  Spain.  One  of  the  greatest  men  who 
bore  witness  to  Christ  in  these  years  of  per- 
secution was  Hosius,  bishop  of  Cordova.  Fort- 
unately for  the  Church,  he  was  not  one  of  those 
who  were  put  to  death  for  their  religion.  In 
the  year  306  a  great  council  of  the  Church  was 
held  at  Elvira,  near  Granada,  which  was  at- 
tended by  no  less  than  nineteen  bishops  from  dif- 
ferent parts  of  Spain.  The  canons  passed  by 
this  council  show  us  some  of  the  problems  that 
at  this  time  perplexed  the  Church.  Thirteen 
of  the  canons  were  against  idolatry,  and  two 
against  Judaizing.  Then  there  were  canons 
against  the  different  moral  evils  of  the  times, 
and  canons  on  church  discipline  in  general. 
One  important  canon  against  pictures  in  the 
churches  was  as  follows:  "We  determine  that 
there  ought  not  to  be  paintings  in  the  church, 
lest  the  object  of  our  worship  and  adoration  be 
painted  on  tlie  walls."  It  is  evident  from  the  Pictures 
wording  of  this  decree  that  the  one  thing  the  |°'^^i]*^^^'^ 
bishops  objected  to  was  the  paintings  represent-  churches, 
ing  the  Deity.  Lest  this  should  be  done,  they 
forbade  all  paintings.  This  total  absence  of  paint- 
ings or  images  was  at  that  time  the  one  thing 
that  distinguished  Christian  churches  from  Pagan 


136 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 


Hosius. 


Religion 
of  the  Goths. 


temples,  and  it  was  not  until  the  second  Council 
of  Nicaea,  787  a.d.,  that  permission  was  given 
for  the  adoration  of  images  or  pictures. 

In  the  time  of  Constantine,  Hosius  seems  to 
have  had  great  influence  at  court,  and  it  is  be- 
lieved by  many  that  he  presided  at  the  great 
Council  of  Nicsea  in  325.  For  twenty  years 
after  this  council  we  hear  little  of  him,  but  it  is 
probable  that  he  was  governing  his  diocese  and 
organizing  the  Spanish  Church.  He  was  never 
again  summoned  to  Constantinople;  during  his 
absence  the  emperor  was  much  influenced  by 
Eusebius,and  when  Constantius  became  emperor, 
the  court  adopted  the  Arian  faith.  A  church 
historian  says  of  Hosius,  "  In  him  died  the 
bishop  who  stood  next  to  Athanasius  in  reputa- 
tion in  the  fourth  century,  nor  has  the  Spanish 
Church  ever  produced  a  prelate  equal  to  him 
since  that  time." 

When  the  Goths  conquered  Spain  they  found 
the  people  of  this  old  Roman  province  believing 
in  what  was  then  the  common  faith  of  Christen- 
dom, and  therefore  called  the  Catholic  or  Uni- 
versal Church.  The  Goths  were  amore  civilized 
nation  than  the  Vandals,  and  they,  too,  came 
into  Spain  as  Christians,  but  they  had  accepted 
the  Arian  form  with  the  other  German  tribes, 
having  been  converted  by  that  earnest  Arian 
missionary,  Ulfilas.  But  their  neighbors,  the 
Franks,  who  had  accepted  the  Catholic  religion 
in  the  days  of  Clovis,  had  much  influence  over 


THE  GOSPEL  IN   SPAIN  137 

the  Goths,  and  in  time  it  came  to  pass  that  they, 
too,  accepted  the  common  Catholic  dogmas  which 
were  already  believed  by  so  many  of  the  people 
of  the  land  they  had  conquered.  When  their 
king  Reccared  accepted  the  Catholic  faith,  he 
made  that  the  state  religion.  Reccared  died  in 
the  year  601,  having  united  the  different  Gothic, 
Suevic,  Roman,  and  aboriginal  races  into  one 
nation  accepting  one  religion,  and  it  may  be  said 
that  from  that  time  Spain  has  earned  the  title 
of  "the  most  Catholic  country  in  the  world." 

When  the  Saracens  conquered  Spain,  they  Saracens 
brought  with  them  the  Mohammedan  religion  ;  christians. 
but  Spain  as  a  country  never  accepted  it. 
Though  many  nominally  professed  the  Moslem  . 
faith  for  the  sake  of  peace,  yet  there  were  always 
many  Christians  in  the  land,  and  there  was  for 
centuries  war  between  the  Christian  kingdoms 
and  those  occupied  by  the  Mohammedans.  Then 
divisions  arose  among  the  Mohammedans  them- 
selves, and  soon  there  was  fighting  between 
Saracens  and  Saracens,  between  Christians  and 
Christians,  and  between  Christians  and  Moslems, 
ending  at  last  when  the  marriage  of  Ferdinand 
and  Isabella  united  the  two  most  powerful 
Christian  kingdoms,  and  led  to  the  conquest 
of  Granada,  the  last  stronghold  of  the  IVIoors. 
Spain  was  now  a  great  Christian  nation,  but  the 
Christianity  seemed  to  consist  largely  in  hating 
heretics,  and  the  Church  was  held  to  the  Catholic 
faith  by  the  terrors  of  the  Inquisition. 


138  THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 

Persecutiou.  Ill  the  early  Church,  heretics  were  punished 
only  by  being  shut  out  from  the  company  of 
the  faithful.  It  was  in  Spain  that  the  first 
heretic  was  put  to  death  for  his  faith,  when  the 
Emperor  Maximus,  urged  on  by  two  bishops, 
put  Priscillian  to  death  ;  the  Spanish  Emperor 
Theodosius,  too,  was  most  severe  in  his  laws 
against  heretics. 
The  Yet  it  was  not  in  Spain  but  in  France  that 

Inquisition,  ^^iq  Inquisition  was  first  instituted,  when  Pope 
Innocent  III.  proclaimed  the  crusade  against 
the  Albigenses.  The  Inquisition  entirely  ex- 
terminated these  brave  people,  and  made  its 
way  into  Italy  and  Aragon,  but  was  not  at  first 
admitted  into  Castile.  After  the  marriage  of 
Ferdinand  of  Aragon  with  Isabella  of  Castile, 
it  was  established  in  the  latter  kingdom  also. 
Queen  Isabella  shrank  from  using  such  dread- 
ful measures,  but  she  was  told  by  her  confessor 
that  it  was  her  duty,  and  at  last  she  yielded,  and 
the  Inquisition  was  introduced  into  Castile.  It 
was  used  at  first  to  drive  out  the  Jews,  and  to 
suppress  Mohammedanism  in  Spain,  and  then 
against  all  heretics,  and  for  many  years  it  did 
its  dreadful  work. 

The  inquisitors  were  commanded  to  examine 
into  all  cases  of  heresy  or  suspicion  of  heresy. 
When  they  entered  a  town,  they  issued  an  or- 
der to  all  inhabitants,  desiring  them  secretly  to 
denounce  all  heretics  among  them.  As  soon 
as  any  one  was  denounced,  he  was  arrested  and 


THE   GOSPEL   IN   SPAIN  139 

imprisoned.  He  was  given  no  information  as 
to  his  accusers,  but  was  examined,  by  torture 
if  deemed  necessary,  and,  if  condemned,  as 
usually  happened,  was  handed  over  to  the 
authorities  to  be  burned.  When  Charles  V. 
came  into  power,  being  a  German,  not  a  Span- 
iard, he  thought  of  abolishing  the  Inquisition  ; 
but  new  opinions  were  springing  up  in  the 
Church,  which  he  detested,  and  he  was  persuaded 
by  the  pope  that  they  could  best  be  crushed 
out  by  the  Inquisition.  There  was  a  universal 
protest  in  Spain  against  its  methods,  and  a 
desire  for  reforms,  that  at  least  its  victims 
might  know  what  were  the  charges  against 
them,  and  might  obtain  justice,  but  in  vain. 
The  pope,  the  king,  and  the  inquisitor-general 
only  increased  the  power  of  this  awful  tribunal 
instead  of  lessening  it. 

The  first  Protestant  in  Spain  was  Rodrigo  The  first 
de  Valero.  He  had  been  an  idle,  fashionable  Protestants, 
young  man  in  Seville,  but  he  was  led  to  study 
his  Bible,  and  his  whole  life  was  changed.  He 
thought  out  for  himself  a  system  much  like 
Luther's,  and  began  to  talk  of  it  to  others. 
He  was  brought  before  the  Inquisition,  all  his 
goods  were  confiscated,  and  he  himself  was  con- 
fined in  a  monastery  for  life,  where  he  died  at  the 
age  of  fifty.  Before  he  died  he  had  many  times 
talked  with  Egidius,  the  famous  preacher  at  the 
cathedral  of  Seville,  and  it  soon  began  to  be 
noticed  that  the  character  of  his  sermons  was 


140  THE  GOSPEL  IN  LATIN  LANDS 

much  changed.  Suspicion  was  soon  aroused, 
and  Egidius,  too,  was  led  before  the  inquisitors 
and  condemned,  on  suspicion  of  being  a  Luth- 
eran, to  three  years'  imprisonment,  and  for- 
bidden to  preach  for  ten  years;  but  he  died 
after  his  first  year  of  imprisonment.  It  is  said 
that  the  condemnation  of  Egidius  had  much 
the  same  effect  upon  his  followers  as  did  the 
martyrdom  of  Stephen  upon  the  early  Chris- 
tians :  many  of  them  were  scattered  abroad, 
and  wherever  they  went  they  carried  the  new 
doctrines. 
What  the  In  the  days   of   Philip    II.    the    Inquisition 

did^'n s'a^n  reached  the  acme  of  its  power  and  cruelty.  A 
writer  on  church  history  thus  summarizes  the 
results  of  its  work : 

"  By  its  agency,  from  1481-1798,  there  perished  in  the 
flames,  thirty-two  thousand  persons,  there  were  burnt  in 
effigy  seventeen  thousand,  and  two  hundred  ninety-six 
thousand  were  degraded,  imprisoned,  stripped  of  their 
goods,  ruined,  and  subjected  to  pain  and  ignominy.  In 
all  three  hundred  forty-five  thousand  human  beings  in 
the  peninsula  alone  suffered  at  its  hands,  and  to  that  sum 
of  misery  is  to  be  added  the  further  sum  made  up  by  the 
suffering  of  an  untold  number  in  India,  South  America, 
and  all  the  Spanish  and  Portuguese  colonies." 

Protestant-         In  1559  there  were  at  least  a  thousand  Prot- 
ism  nearly     ^stauts  in  Seville,  a  thousand  in  Valladolid,  and 

crushed  out. 

a  proportionate  number  in  all  the  towns  of 
Spain.  "They  were  all  burnt,"  says  the  his- 
torian, "  or  driven  by  fear  of  being  burnt  into 
professing  themselves   Roman  Catholics.     The 


THE  GOSPEL  IN   SPAIJSf  141 

Inquisition  continued  its  work,  and  Protestant- 
ism did  not  dare  to  lift  its  head  in  Spain  until 
after  the  Ke volution  of  1868." 

The  Reformation,  however,  was  not  without  Reforms 
its  effect  in  Spain.     A  counter  revolution  took  J^'g^tJ^QUg 
place  in  the  Roman  Church,  one  form  of  which  Church, 
was  Jesuitism.     There  also  sprang  up  in  Spain 
a  company  of  mystics,  whose  object  was  to  keep 
alive  a  warm  piety  in   the   heart,    while   still 
adhering   closely   to   the    doctrines   of    Rome. 
One  of  the  best  examples  of  this  school  was 
St.  Theresa.     But  although  these  mystics  did 
bring  about  a  certain  reformation  in  morals, 
yet  they  did  not  lead  to  that  real  reformation  of 
the  heart  and  life  which  Spain  needed.     "  Spain,  v 
like  France,  would  not  have  Protestantism,  and    j 
therefore  has  had  to  go  through  the  same  deep  / 
seas  of  unbelief  as  France." 

"  The  present  state  of  things,"  says  Canon  Meyrick,  Present 
"  is  as  follows :  An  impoverished  and  languid  church  is  conditions, 
supported  by  the  nobility  and  by  statesmen  as  a  political 
instrument,  but  it  has  lost  its  hold  on  the  middle  classes 
and  the  shopkeepers,  who  are  given  over  to  scepticism 
and  unbelief.  Yet  it  is  still  an  object  of  affection  to  the 
great  majority  of  the  peasantry,  who  believe  whatever 
they  are  taught  by  their  priests,  with  a  faith  that  is 
touching  in  its  simplicity.  The  bishops  and  clergy  have 
lost  both  the  vices  and  the  merits  which  belonged  to  them 
as  members  of  a  wealthy  and  turbulent  aristocracy,  but 
the  compulsory  discipline  of  a  universal  celibacy  still  bears 
its  evil  fruit  as  of  old.  Among  the  laity  the  philosophy 
introduced  from  France  contends  with  the  inherited  rev- 
erence for  the  priesthood,  and  leads  men  to  disbelieve 


142 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN   LANDS 


Earliest 
missions. 


Wesleyan 
Suuday- 
schools   and 
societies. 


the  doctrines  of  the  Church,  but  to  refrain  from  formally 
breaking  away  from  her." 

3.    Protestant  Missions  in  Spain 

The  English  Wesleyan  Mission. 
The  Baptist  Missionary  Union. 
The  American  Board. 
The  Plymouth  Brethren. 
The  United  Free  Church  of  Scotland. 
The  English  Independent  Church. 
The  Swedish  Baptist  Mission. 
The  Iglesia  Reformada. 

The  earliest  Protestant  mission  to  Spain  was 
undertaken  by  the  English  Wesleyans,  who 
naturally  began  at  Gibraltar,  that  British  rock 
fortress  on  the  edge  of  Spain.  This  mission 
dates  back  nearly  a  century,  to  1816.  In  the 
decade  between  1830  and  1840  vigorous  efforts 
were  made  to  spread  the  news  of  the  kingdom 
throughout  Spain,  from  Cadiz  as  headquarters; 
but  the  inveterate  opposition  of  the  Romanists 
compelled  its  abandonment. 

In  1869  the  mission  was  revived  at  Barcelona, 
and  soon  afterward  work  was  begun  in  the 
Balearic  Islands  off  the  coast  of  Spain.  Of  late 
years  this  mission  has  largely  prospered  under 
the  energetic  leadership  of  Rev.  Franklyn  G. 
Smith,  who  began  his  life  work  in  Majorca, 
but  is  now  stationed  in  Barcelona. 

The  Wesleyan  Mission  has  done  especially 
good  work  in  its  Bible  classes  for  children, 
which  have  been  eminently  successful.    Any  one 


THE  GOSPEL  IN   SPAIN  143 

who  should  see  Mr.  Smith  holding  the  nipt 
attention  of  a  hundred  bright-eyed  Spanish 
children  while  he  taught  them  the  Gospel  story 
would  not  soon  forget  the  inspiring  sight. 

The  Christian  Endeavor  Societies  in  this 
mission,  as  throughout  Spain,  have  been  partic- 
ularly successful.  There  are  now  twelve  (six 
Young  People's  and  six  Junior)  societies  in 
Barcelona,  and  these  entertained  the  Spanish 
National  Convention  of  Christian  Endeavor  in 
November,  1908.  No  Protestant  meeting  place 
could  hold  the  numbers  that  came  together, 
and  a  large  theatre  and  a  dance  hall  were  hired, 
which,  at  some  of  the  services,  were  filled  with 
eager  listeners. 

Missionaries  who  had  spent  all  their  lives  in 
Spain  declared  it  to  be  the  greatest  evangelical 
gatliering  ever  held  in  Spain  since  the  days  of 
the  Visigoths. 

Baptists  in  Spain 

The  Baptist    Mission  in    Spain  has  suffered   The  begin- 
many  vicissitudes,  and  at  times  has  seemed  to  °."'r'  °^  ■?^^° 

•^  '  tist  work. 

be  entirely  crushed  out ;  but,  like  Truth  itself, 
it  has  risen  again,  and  is  now  in  a  more  hopeful 
condition  than  for  many  years.  It  was  begun 
forty  years  ago  by  Rev.  William  I.  Knapp, 
who  applied  to  the  American  Baptist  Mission- 
ary Union  for  assistance.  For  a  time,  in  Madrid 
and  vicinity,  it  flourished  greatly,  and  several 
churches  were  gathered.     The  opposition  of  the 


144 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 


Plymouth 
Brethren. 


Bishop 
Cabrera. 


Romanists,  liowever,  proved  too  much  for  them, 
and  when  the  mis.sionaries  returned  to  the  United 
'  States,  the  churches  gradually  disintegrated  and 
disappeared. 

In  1885  the  mission  existed  only  in  Barce- 
lona, under  the  care  of  Rev.  Eric  Lund,  a 
Swedish  Baptist,  who  afterward  was  sent  to 
the  Philippines  to  inaugurate  the  very  success- 
ful mission  which  he  has  established  there. 
Rev.  M.  C.  Marin  soon  joined  Mr.  Lund  in 
his  work,  and  is  still  doing  admirable  service 
at  Sabadell,  a  suburb  of  Barcelona,  while  Mr. 
Anglada  holds  the  Baj)tist  fort  in  that  city. 
The  present  unrest  in  Spain,  the  indisputable 
trend  of  the  country  toward  materialism  and 
infidelity,  makes  the  necessity  for  all  such  evan- 
gelical work  the  more  imperative.  As  Mr. 
Marin  himself  says :  "  What  shall  we  do  for 
this  poor  people  ?  Give  them  a  chance  to 
understand  what  the  true  and  simple  Gospel 
is.  Never  was  the  opportunity  so  good  in 
Spain  as  now.  The  fields  are  ready  for  the 
sowing  now,  as  they  liave  not  been  for  the  last 
four  centuries." 

The  Plymouth  Brethren  are  active  and  in- 
fluential in  many  parts  of  Spain,  and  promote 
an  earnest  and  evangelical,  but  distinctively 
individualistic,  type  of  piety. 

An  interesting  development  of  Protestantism 
is  the  church  of  Bishop  Cabrera  in  Madrid. 
Consecrated  a   few   years   ago   by  Archbishop 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  SPAIN  145 

Plunkett  of  Dublin,  Bishop  Cabrera  has  built 
a  "  cathedral "  of  considerable  size  and  beauty 
in  the  capital,  and  his  church  is  strong  and 
vigorous,  appealing  especially  to  the  Irish  Prot- 
estants for  sympathy  and  support. 

The  most  eloquent  preacher  in  Spain  is  ad-  Don 
mitted  to  be  the  venerable  Don  Cipriano  Tor-  xorQos** 
nos  of  Madrid.  He  was  once  chaplain  to 
Isabella  II.,  but,  on  his  conversion,  more  than 
twoscore  years  ago,  he  sacrificed  a  brilliant 
career  to  his  convictions.  He  still  preaches 
to  a  Spanish  congregation  in  a  building  which 
was  once  the  seat  of  the  Inquisition  in  Madrid, 
where  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society 
also  has  its  offices,  and  is  greatly  beloved  and 
revered  by  all  Protestants.  He  well  expressed 
the  hopeful  view  which  Spanish  Protestants 
take  of  the  progress  of  the  kingdom  in  their 
beloved  land,  when  he  said,  amid  great  applause, 
at  the  recent  National  Christian  Endeavor  Con- 
vention in  Barcelona :  "  When  I  came  to  this 
convention,  and  saw  the  throngs  of  young 
Protestants,  I  was  inclined  to  say  with  Simeon, 
'Now  lettest  Thou  Thy  servant  depart  in 
peace  ! '  but  now  that  I  have  attended  the 
meetings,  and  been  inspired  by  all  I  have 
seen,  I  never  want  to  die,  but  to  live  to  see 
the  salvation  of  God,  which  will  surely  come 
to  Spain." 


146 


TUE  GOSPEL  IN  LATIN  LANDS 


Congregational  Missions  in  Spain 

The  American  Board  began  its  missionary 
work  in  Spain  in  1871,  when  Rev.  Luther  H. 
Gulick  and  his  brother,  Rev.  William  H.  Gulick, 
with  their  wives,  were  sent  out  to  survey  the 
field,  and  select  a  location  for  the  mission.  Dr. 
Luther  Gulick  took  up  his  residence  in  Bar- 
celona in  March,  1872 ;  but  though  a  certain 
amount  of  religious  liberty  was  then  allowed, 
yet  the  government  showed  itself  so  unfriendly 
and  put  so  many  obstacles  in  the  way  that  it 
seemed  impossible  to  do  effective  work,  and  he 
was  transferred  to  another  country  witli  better 
conditions  for  service.  Rev.  William  H.  Gulick 
began  work  at  Santander,  on  the  northwest 
coast,  a  city  of  twenty  thousand  inhabitants. 
He  opened  his  house  for  Sabbath  services  and 
soon  had  a  good  congregation  in  attendance. 
In  1876  the  First  Evangelical  Church  of  San- 
tander was  organized  with  seventeen  members. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tliomas  Gulick  also  joined  the 
mission,  and  settled  for  a  time  in  Zaragoza, 
where  they  organized,  in  1876,  another  church, 
with  twelve  new  members,  and  seventy-five 
members  transferred  from  an  old  Protestant 
church  formerly  established  there  ;  later,  they, 
too,  left  Spain  for  other  work. 

In  1881  the  mission  moved  its  headquarters 
to  San  Sebastian.  During  all  the  years  since 
that  time  the  work  has  progressed,  slowly  but 


THE  GOSPEL  IN   SPAIN  147 

steadily,  in   spite   of    all    opposition   and   hin- 
drances. 

The  greatest  difficulty  in  the  work  has  arisen,  Hindrances, 
as  in  other  Catholic  countries  in  modern  times, 
from  the  prevailing  spirit  of  unbelief  and  in- 
difference. In  the  early  years  of  the  mission, 
many  obstacles  were  put  in  the  way  also  by 
a  society  of  Catholic  ladies,  organized  for  the 
express  purpose  of  hindering  the  work  of  the 
missionaries.  These  ladies  visited  in  the  homes 
to  argue  with  the  j)eople,  promising  free  cloth- 
ing and  schooling  for  the  children,  and  work 
for  their  parents,  if  they  would  give  up  the 
Protestant  schools  and  meetings,  and  threaten- 
ing loss  of  employment  if  they  should  persist. 

There  is  now  a  central  station  in  Madrid 
with  five  missionaries  at  work  there,  who  also 
feel  the  care  of  sixteen  cities  and  villages  in 
which  the  mission  has  established  its  work,  with 
thirty-one  Spanish  helpers  as  pastors,  preachers, 
teachers,  etc. ;  there  are  eight  churches,  sixteen 
places  of  worship,  twenty-three  Sunday-schools, 
and  fourteen  day  schools,  all  of  which  are  pros- 
pering and  doing  a  good  work  for  Spain. 

What  One   Woman  has  done  for  Spain 

The  Work  of  Mrs.  Alice  Gordon  Gulick  in  Madrid  and 
throughout  Spain 

It  was  the  work  and  the  influence  of  one  weak 
and  unworthy  woman  in  Spain  that  opened  the 


148 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 


Isabella  II. 
bauished 
from  Spain. 


Mrs.  Gulick 
welcomed. 


Her 

interest 
in  Spanish 
girls. 


way  for  the  work  of  this  consecrated  Christian 
woman  in  her  country.  Wlien  Isabella  II.  was 
banished  from  Spain  for  her  misdeeds,  a  door 
was  opened  for  the  entrance  of  Doiia  Alicia 
Gulick,  as  her  Spanish  friends  loved  to  call  her. 
Until  the  Revolution  of  1868  the  Bible  had  been 
forbidden  in  Spain,  and,  though  occasional 
copies  of  the  Gospel  had  found  their  way  in, 
yet  to  be  known  to  possess  or  to  read  it  meant 
persecution  if  not  imprisonment.  But  when  in 
1868  a  constitutional  government  and  a  certain 
amount  of  religious  liberty  were  proclaimed, 
missionaries  were  soon  ready  to  enter  this  field, 
and,  among  the  first,  as  we  have  said,  were  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Gulick.  At  first  Mrs.  Gulick's  time 
was  fully  occupied  in  stud3dng  the  language, 
attending  to  household  cares,  and  helping  her 
husband,  so  far  as  she  could  in  his  missionary 
work;  but  it  was  not  long  before  she  began  that 
educational  work  which  was  to  make  her  influ- 
ence felt  not  only  through  all  northern  Spain, 
but  also  in  Madrid  and  other  parts  of  the 
country. 

She  began  with  a  few  little  boys  in  her  own 
home,  but  she  could  not  long  refrain  from  help- 
ing the  Spanish  girls,  whom  she  longed  to  lead 
into  a  larger  life  of  usefulness.  It  was  about 
three  years  after  her  arrival  in  Spain  that  Mrs. 
Gulick,  in  calling  on  a  Spanish  family,  spoke  of 
the  educational  opportunities  open  to  girls  in 
America,  and   of  her  wish  that  Spanish   girls 


TUE  GOSPEL  IN  SPAIN  149 

might  have  the  same  privileges.  But  we  will 
let  Miss  Anna  F.  Webb  of  Madrid,  for  many 
years  one  of  Mrs.  Gulick's  helpers,  and  who  suc- 
ceeded her  as  Directoraof  the  school,  tell  us  of  the 
small  beginning  of  a  great  and  beautiful  work. 

"  Some   days    later   a  young   girl   knocked   at    Mrs.    The  first 
Gulick's  door,  with  a  request  that  sounded  strange  from   P^P'^- 
the  lips  of  a  Spanish  girl. 

"  '  I  was  sewing  in  the  parlor  of  the  Senora  A.  the 
other  day  when  you  were  telling  her  the  way  that  girls 
are  educated  in  your  country.  I  want  to  be  educated,  too. 
Won't  you  teach  me?  ' 

"  This  simple  and  eloquent  appeal  went  straight  to 
Mrs.  Gulick's  heart.  But  as  a  busy  mother  and  mission- 
ary whose  hands  were  already  more  than  occupied  in  the 
work  of  the  mission  stations,  how  could  she  conscien- 
tiously take  up  other  burdens?  However,  Arsenia 
pleaded  still  farther. 

"  '  I  am  a  seamstress  and  will  attend  to  your  family 
sewing  if  you  may  have  time  to  teach  me.' 

"  In  the  end,  the  love  and  the  longing  to  help  even  one 
girl  from  Spain's  millions  to  rise  to  a  higher  life  pre- 
vailed, and  Arsenia  became  a  member  of  Mrs.  Gulick'a 
household,  and  began  with  very  slow  steps  the  difficult 
road  that  leads  to  educated  womanhood.  More  than 
thirty  years  later,  in  the  school  chapel  in  Madrid,  this 
same  Arsenia,  now  a  beautiful,  white-haired  matron,  led 
the  prayers  before  an  audience  of  some  seventy-five  girls 
of  whom  she  had  been  the  forerunner.  Faculty  and 
students  were  helped  and  strengthened  by  her  gracious 
words.  Surely  this  one  out  of  hundreds  of  Mrs.  Gulick's 
foster  daughters  has  risen  up  to  call  her  blessed." 

And  so  began  the  little  school  which  was  to  The  little 
grow  and  develop  into  the  two  schools  which  school. 


150 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 


In  San 
Sebastian. 


The  first 
graduation. 


now  offer  tlie  largest  opportunities  for  the  edu- 
cation of  girls  in  Spain.  The  second  pupil  to 
be  added  to  this  little  school  was  Generosa,  the 
little  maid  who  cared  for  Mrs.  Gulick's  children, 
who  begged  to  share  the  teaching  which  Arsenia 
was  enjoying.  It  was  not  long  before  other 
girls  asked  to  join  them,  and  it  grew  to  be  a 
genuine  school.  Other  teachers  were  needed, 
and  a  Spanish  young  lady  who  had  been  edu- 
cated in  Switzerland  was  engaged,  and  later 
Miss  Susan  Richards,  from  Auburndale,  Mass., 
Mrs.  Gulick's  native  town,  went  out  to  help  in 
the  work. 

In  1881  it  was  thought  best  to  move  tlie 
school  from  Santander  to  San  Sebastian,  just  at 
the  gateway  into  France,  and  the  school  was  soon 
established  there  with  five  boarders  and  a  few 
day  pupils.  In  1887  Miss  Catherine  Barbour, 
a  graduate  of  Mt.  Holyoke  College,  was  sent  out 
by  the  Woman's  Board,  to  teach  in  the  school, 
and  some  of  the  graduates,  who  were  by  this 
time  ready  to  help  in  the  work,  were  also  en- 
gaged as  teachers  in  the  school,  which  had  now 
come  to  be  called  the  Colegio  Norte  Americano. 

In  1881,  soon  after  the  removal  to  San 
Sebastian,  occurred  the  first  graduation  of  a 
class  of  five  girls  who  had  completed  the  course 
which  Mrs.  Gulick  had  carefully  planned  for 
them,  about  equivalent  to  the  course  in  one  of 
our  high  schools.  Every  year  since  that  time  a 
class  of  educated  Christian  girls  has  graduated 


THE  GOSPEL   IN   SPAIN  151 

from  the  school,  and  the  best  part  of  the  work  ac- 
complished has  been  the  beautiful  spiritual  in- 
fluence exerted  by  Mrs.  Gulick  and  the  other 
teachers,  so  that  almost  every  girl  who  has  gone 
out  from  that  school  has  soon  made  herself  the 
centre  of  the  religious  life  of  the  city  or  village 
to  which  she  has  returned.  Many  of  these  what  the 
girls   have    become    the   wives     of    Protestant  g'"=>^*i»a,tes 

°  have  done, 

pastors,   and  the    communities    in   Avhicli    they 

have  settled  have  not  only  felt  the  influence 
of  the  new  Christian  home  established  among 
them,  but  have  found  a  new  friend  and  helper, 
and  an  inspiration  to  a  better  life,  in  their 
pastor's  wife.  Other  girls  have  gone  out  into 
tlie  towns  and  villages  of  Spain  to  teach  in  the 
day  schools  established  by  the  mission,  and  in 
almost  every  case  these  graduate  teachers  have 
not  only  taken  charge  of  the  day  schools,  but 
have  also  established  Sunday-schools  and  Chris- 
tian Endeavor  Societies,  and  have  even  taken 
charge  of  religious  services  for  the  community 
in  small  places  where  there  was  no  pastor.  The 
reports  of  the  work  done  by  the  graduates  of 
this  school  are  full  of  accounts  of  Christian 
service,  of  which  the  following,  reported  for  us 
by  Miss  Mary  Lyon  Page  of  Madrid,  is  a  sample : 

"  A  few  miles  distant  from  a  desolate  railway  station    A  graduate 
lies  the  village  of  Pradejon,  approached  by  a  road  leading    i°  Pradejon. 
through  a  dry  and  barren  plain.      The  narrow  streets  of 
the  mud  and   plaster  village  would  not  admit  our  two- 
wheeled  cart,  so  we  got  out  and  walked  until  we  reached 


152  THE  GOSPEL  IN  LATIN  LANDS 

the  school,  which  was  built  of  stones  and  covered  neatly 
■with  plaster. 

"Ascension  (A-then-sion),  who  was  in  charge  of  the 
work,  graduated  from  our  boarding  school  only  a  short 
time  before,  and  this  year  was  her  first  experience  in 
teaching.  She  found  the  scholars  rude  and  rough,  but 
insisted  on  good  manners ;  so  when  a  polite  boy  was  seen 
in  the  village,  he  was  always  credited  to  the  Protestant 
school. 

"Between  thirty  and  forty  children  came  to  school 
the  morning  of  our  visit.  After  devotional  exercises, 
work  began.  A  class  was  called;  we  listened  ;  we  could 
hear.  What  a  wonder !  Unlike  the  public  schools,  the 
other  pupils  were  sitting  quietly  instead  of  studying  aloud 
at  the  top  of  their  voices.  We  began  to  admire  our 
teacher. 

"  Sunday  morning  came  Sunday-school.  There  was 
no  pastor,  and  the  teacher  did  it  all.  She  gathered  the 
children  in  the  chapel,  played  the  harmonium,  led  in  the 
hymns  she  had  taught  them  to  sing,  read  the  Scriptures 
and  prayed,  then  mounted  the  platform  as  superinten- 
dent and  conducted  the  lesson.  She  had  given  out  lesson 
papers  beforehand,  and  they  had  studied  them.  There 
was  no  playing  by  the  boys ;  they  were  too  eager  to  be 
the  ones  to  answer  her  questions.  It  was  a  sight  worth 
seeing.  Ascension  is  not  handsome,  but  comely,  tall,  and 
commanding ;  she  stood  like  a  general  marshalling  his 
soldiers.  At  her  bidding  they  recited,  and  children  who 
two  years  before  had  never  seen  a  Bible  were  repeating 
Bible  texts  or  telling  Bible  stories.  Others  enjoyed  it,  too. 
As  there  was  no  morning  service  grown-up  people  strayed 
in  and  sat  at  the  back,  —  fathers,  older  sisters,  and  mothers 
with  babies  in  their  arms.  In  the  afternoon  a  '  sermon,' 
or  exposition,  was  given  by  a  brother  in  the  church,  but  it 
did  not  compare  with  the  morning  teaching." 

Through  all  these  years  the  school  has  been 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  SPAIN  153 

advancing;  new  teachers  have  been  sent  out, 
and  the  course  of  study  has  been  enlarged;  but 
always  the  main  purpose  of  the  school  has  been 
to  send  forth  into  the  land  of  Spain,  not  sim- 
ply educated  girls,  but  cultured  Christians,  who 
have  been  doing  just  such  work  as  we  have 
described. 

In  the  early  years  of  the  school,  Mrs.  Gulick 
gave  to  the  graduates  diplomas  signed  by  her- 
self as  Directora,  but  she  could  not  long  be 
satisfied  with  this,  since  in  Spain  no  diplomas 
were  considered  of  much  value  except  those 
given  by  the  government.  Having  tried  in 
vain  to  get  permission  to  present  her  girls  for 
examination  in  the  national  normal  schools, 
she  determined  to  try  to  have  them  take  the 
examinations  at  the  government  colleges  which 
were  called  Institutos,  and  which  gave  the 
degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts.  In  former  years  Taking  their 
a  very  few  girls  who  had  been  educated  by  '^^g'"^^^- 
priests  had  been  graduated  from  these  Institutes, 
and  she  believed  that  her  girls  could  also  pass 
the  examinations.  In  1890  eight  girls  began 
to  take  this  course  under  Mrs.  Gulick,  Miss 
Barbour,  and  Miss  Anna  F.  Webb  of  Wellesley 
College,  who  was  added  to  the  faculty  during 
that  year.  In  June,  1891,  a  group  of  girls  went 
to  the  Instituto  for  their  first  government 
examination,  which  they  passed  successfully, 
most  of  them  receiving  the  mark  of  "  Sobresa- 
lientes,"  the  highest  rank  given. 


154  THE   GOSPEL   IN    LATIN  LANDS 

During  the  eight  years  of  government  ex- 
aminations in  San  Sebastian,  these  Spanish  girls 
bore  off  many  honors,  and  proved  that  they 
could  do  as  good  intellectual  work  as  their 
brothers.  In  1892  Miss  Page  and  Miss  Bushee 
of  Mt.  Holyoke  were  sent  out  to  join  the 
faculty,  and  other  helpers  have  since  been  added 
to  their  ranks,  and  the  work  of  the  school  has 
constantly  improved.  In  1894  four  girls  re- 
ceived from  the  government  Instituto  their 
degree  of  B.A.,  and  there  was  great  rejoicing 
in  the  school. 

Still  Mrs.  Gulick's  ambition  was  not  satisfied 
though  year  by  year  other  girls  also  took  their 
degrees.  She  went  up  to  Madrid  and  arranged 
with  the  professors  there  that  her  girls  should 
be  allowed  to  take  the  course  in  Philosophy  and 
Literature,  and  take  the  degree  of  M.A.  In 
1897  two  graduates  from  this  school  went  to 
Madrid  and  passed  these  examinations  so  suc- 
cessfully as  to  receive  great  approbation  from 
the  Spanish  professors,  and  also  won  much  ad- 
miration from  the  students  of  the  university. 
Miss  Webb,  in  her  account  of  the  school,  thus 
describes  the  honors  paid  to  these  girls: 

"When  these  two  young  women  went  to  Madrid  in 
1897  for  their  final  examinations,  they  were  accompanied 
by  two  other  graduates  from  the  Instituto,  who  had  been 
matriculated  in  another  course  of  the  university,  that  of 
Pharmacy.  This  comprises  four  years  of  work  chiefly  in 
the  Sciences  and  Mathematics.  The  difficulties  of  enter- 
ing this  course  were  somewhat  greater  than  in  that  of 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  SPAIN  155 

Philosophy  and  Letters,  owing  to  the  different  character 
of  the  students  and  the  objections  of  the  professors. 
They  were  at  first  more  averse  to  allowing  women  to  enter 
their  classes,  and  the  students  looked  upon  this  novel 
procedure  as  a  huge  joke.  The  experiences  of  that  first 
year  are  too  long  to  relate,  but  one  notable  and  literal 
'  onward  march '  in  the  progress  of  education  should  be 
recorded.  One  day,  at  high  noon,  when  the  streets  were 
most  thronged,  the  two  girls  were  surprised  as  they  left 
the  door  of  the  university  to  find  a  double  line  on  both 
sides  of  the  street  of  three  or  four  hundred  students,  who 
had  formed  what  they  call  the  Escnlta  Real  (Royal  Es- 
cort) for  the  girls.  As  soon  as  they  appeared,  the  Royal 
March  was  struck  up,  and  hats,  canes,  coats,  books  — 
anything  was  thrown  down  for  them  to  walk  on.  Street 
cars  were  stojiped,  and  any  foot  passenger  not  in  the 
immediate  '  Royal  Party  *  or  '  Escort '  must  needs  wait 
until  the  triumphant  procession  had  passed  by.  This 
escort  was  continued  for  about  half  a  mile  until  the 
girls  could  find  refuge  in  another  university  building." 

In  1898  our  Spanish  War  broke  out,  and  the 
school  was  moved  from  San  Sebastian,  across 
the  border  to  Biarritz  in  France,  where  it  re- 
mained for  five  years,  and  though  for  a  year  or 
two  the  work  of  the  government  Institutos  was 
interrupted,  it  was  resumed  again  as  soon  as 
possible.  In  1901  the  school  met  with  7\  great  Death 
loss  in  the  death  of  Miss  Barbour,  who  had 
alwaj^s  been  a  strong  spiritual  and  intellectual 
force  in  the  school. 

"Her  helpful  presence  was  missed,"  says  a  friend,  "in 
every  department  of  the  school ;  in  the  class-room,  in  the 
faculty  meetings,  in  the  weekly  prayer  meetings  of  the 
girls:  everywhere  her  cheery,  hopeful  spirit,  her  indefati- 


of  Miss 
Barbour. 


166 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  LATIN  LANDS 


Removal 
to  Madrid. 


Death  of 
Mrs.  Gulick. 


gable  energy  and  her  strong  Christian  character  had  been 
a  mainspring  of  the  institution.  Her  helpful  influence 
extended  to  every  corner  of  Spain,  through  the  hold  she 
kept  on  the  girls  after  they  had  left  the  sheltering  roof 
tree  of  the  school.  Her  memory  is  loved  and  cherished 
throughout  Spain." 

When  the  time  came  for  the  school  to  cross 
the  border  again  from  France  into  Spain,  it  was 
decided  to  move,  not  to  San  Sebastian,  but  to 
Madrid,  that  the  school  might  have  the  greater 
advantages  which  the  capital  could  offer.  Just 
after  the  decision  had  been  made,  a  great  grief 
came  upon  the  school  in  the  severe  illness  of 
Mrs.  Gulick,  and,  after  a  few  weeks  of  pain  and 
weakness,  during  which  she  still  took  counsel 
with  the  faculty,  and  planned  wisely  and  prayer- 
fully for  the  school,  she  was  taken  to  her 
heavenly  home. 

"  Friends  from  all  over  Spain,"  says  one  who  loved  her, 
"  came  to  say  their  last  farewell,  and  a  choir  of  her  beloved 
girls  softly  sang  her  favorite  hymn,  '  Nearer,  my  God,  to 
Thee.'  The  bodily  presence  of  Mrs.  Gulick  is  now  no 
longer  among  her  pupils;  but  her  influence,  powerful,  in- 
vigorating, helpful,  will  always  permeate  and  in  a 
measure   guide   the   school." 


Mr.  Gulick's 
work  for 
the  school. 


After  the  death  of  Mrs.  Gulick,  her  husband, 
to  whom  she  and  all  of  the  faculty  had  always 
turned  for  help  and  counsel,  gave  himself  very 
heartily  to  carrying  on  the  work  to  which  she 
had  devoted  her  life,  and  is  still  assisting  and 
advising   in    the    management    of    the    school, 


national 

Institute 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  SPAIN  157 

while  at  the  same  time  he  feels  the  care  of  all 
the  churches  connected  with  this  mission. 

We  cannot  give  space  to  a  detailed  account 
of  the  work  in  recent  years.  New  departments 
have  been  opened  and  larger  opportunities  of- 
fered year  by  3^ear.  In  1892  the  school  took 
the  title  of  "  International  Institute  for  Girls 
in  Spain.''''  At  that  time  a  corporation  was  inter 
formed,  which  is  entitled  to  hold  property  in 
Spain;  a  beautiful  new  building  has  been  erected  for  Girls 
in  Madrid,  and  the  school  has  been  divided,  ^^  ^^'°" 
the  corporation  taking  charge  of  the  girls  of  the 
three  highest  classes  in  the  government  Insti- 
tute course,  and  retaining  the  name  of  Interna- 
tional Institute  for  Girls  in  Spain;  the  school  for 
the  younger  girls  and  those  taking  the  Normal 
course  under  the  care  of  the  Woman's  Board  of 
Missions,  taking  the  name  "The  Normal  and 
Preparatory  School  for  Spanish  Girls." 

Though  the  school  has  continually  advanced 
intellectually,  until  it  is  now  giving  to  Spanish 
girls  opportunity  for  a  higher  education  such  as 
their  sisters  in  America  have  long  enjoyed,  yet 
their  religious  interests  have  been  placed  first.  A 
few  words  spoken  by  Mrs.  Gulick,  when  she  first 
began  to  plan  for  the  new  building,  show  the 
spirit  in  which  the  school  began,  and  her  stead- 
fast purpose  to  keep  it  always  a  Christian  sq\\oo\. 
"  I  want  to  build  a  chapel,"  she  said,  "  and 
around  it  erect  the  rest  of  the  house." 

Ever  since  the  graduation  of  its  first  class> 


158 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 


this  school  has  been  sending  fortli  into  different 
parts  of  Spain  little  companies  of  educated,  cul- 
tured, Christian  girls,  whose  spiritual  influence 
has  been  felt  wherever  they  have  gone,  and  at 
the  large  Christian  Endeavor  Convention  held 
in  Barcelona  in  1908,  it  was  said  that  more  than 
half  the  societies  represented  there  had  been 
organized  and  led  by  these  Christian  girl  gradu- 
ates, trained  by  Mrs.  Gulick. 

Though  the  International  Institute  is  no  longer 
under  the  care  of  the  Woman's  Board,  and  can- 
not now  be  called  a  missionary  college,  yet  it  is 
the  earnest  hope  of  many  who  have  helped  to  sup- 
port it  through  all  the  years,  and  are  still  help- 
ing, that  it  shall  always  be  distinctively  a 
Christian  college,  and  that  its  graduates  may 
always  be  in  the  future,  as  they  have  be«n  in  the 
past,  a  strong  spiritual  and  uplifting  influence 
in  the  land  of  Spain.  Many  of  its  members  will 
always  be  those  who  enter  it  from  the  Normal 
and  Preparatory  School,  still  under  the  care  of 
missionaries  of  the  Woman's  Board,  who  are  there 
learning  to  walk  in  the  path  of  righteousness 
and  to  do  earnest  work  for  the  Master,  "  whose 
they  are  and  whom  they  serve."  It  has  been 
the  testimony  of  many  in  Spain  who  have  known 
of  its  work  that  this  school  has  been  one  of  the 
strongest  evangelistic  and  spiritual  forces  in  the 
country. 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  SPAIN  159 

Other  Foreign  Boards 

Our  space  does  not  allow  us  to  dwell  at 
length  upon  the  excellent  work  of  other  Euro- 
pean missionaries,  but  we  must  be  content  to 
record  the  fact  that  the  Scotch  Presbyterians 
have  four  missionaries  in  Spain,  who  are  estab- 
lished at  Cadiz,  Cordova,  Huelba,  and  Seville  ; 
the  English  Independents  two,  at  Malaga  and 
Vigo ;  the  Swedish  Baptist  one,  at  Valencia ;  and 
the  Iglesia  Reformada  Mission  two,  at  Seville 
and  Salamanca.  v 

PART  II 
The  Gospel  in  Austria 

1.    The  Story  of  Austria 

Though  Austria  is  not  a  Latin  country,  it  has 
long  been  under  the  dominion  of  the  pope,  re- 
ligiously, and  its  missionary  history  may  be 
appropriately,  though  briefly,  treated  in  this 
volume. 

We  first  hear  of  Austria  as  a  little  Roman 
province  called  Pannonia,  in  the  year  14  B.C., 
including  what  is  now  lower  Austria.  Later  it 
was  occupied  by  different  barbaric  tribes,  until 
it  became  a  part  of  Charlemagne's  empire,  and 
was  called  the  Eastern  Mark,  or  Ostreich,  from 
which  came  its  present  name.  For  many  years 
it  was  ruled  by  a  margrave  ;  then  as  it  acquired 


160 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 


more  and  more  possessions,  it  became  first  a 
duchy  and  then  an  archduchy. 

The  Hapsburg  dynasty  began  in  the  thirteenth 
centuiy  with  Albert  as  ruler  of  Austria,  Styria, 
and  Carniola.  From  this  time  until  the  Refor- 
mation there  were  many  changes  in  Austria. 
Bohemia  and  Hungary  were  added  to  it  in  the 
fifteenth  century.  The  Netherlands  were  ac- 
quired when  Maximilian  married  a  daughter  of 
Charles  the  Bold,  and  all  these  possessions  were 
inherited  by  his  son,  Philip  the  Fair.  Philip 
married  Joanna,  the  daughter  of  Ferdinand  and 
Isabella  of  Spain,  and  their  son,  the  celebrated 
Charles  V.,  inherited  Austria,  the  Netherlands, 
and  all  the  Spanish  possessions. 

In  the  Thirty  Years'  War,  Austria  took  the 
side  of  the  Catholics  against  the  Protestants. 
She  also  took  a  large  part  in  the  War  of  the 
Spanish  Succession,  and  in  the  wars  against 
Napoleon,  in  which  she  was  repeatedly  defeated 
and  met  with  many  losses.  Since  1866  Austria 
has  occupied  an  important  position  in  the  i>o- 
litical  affairs  of  Europe.  In  1867,  in  order  to 
satisfy  the  demands  of  the  people,  a  new  consti- 
tution was  adopted,  and  in  that  year  the  em- 
peror and  empress  were  crowned  king  and 
queen  of  Hungary,  the  Emperor  Francis  Joseph 
having  signed  an  imperial  rescript,  promising 
to  give  to  Hungary  self-government  so  far  iis  it 
would  not  affect  the  unity  and  power  of  the 
empire. 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  AUSTRIA  161 

The  Austrian  Empire  now  includes  Hungary,  Present 
Bohemia,  Moravia,  and  several  smaller  provinces,  conditions. 
About  two-thirds  of  the  people  are  Roman  Cath- 
olics, and  about  one-tenth  Greek  Catholics. 
There  are  now  nearly  half  a  million  Protestants 
in  Austria  proper,  and  more  than  three  millions 
in  Hungary,  where  there  is  perfect  religious 
equality,  each  denomination  being  free  to  carry 
on  its  work  in  its  own  way.  In  Bohemia  the 
religion  is  Roman  Catholic,  but  the  number  of 
Protestants  is  increasing  every  year. 

2.    Protestant   Work  in  Austria 

United  Free  Church  of  Scotland. 
Missions  to  the  Jews. 

American  Board  of  Commissioners  for  Foreign  Mis- 
sions. 

Missions  among  Roman  Catholics. 

This  great  empire  is  of  especial  interest  to 
Protestants,  because  here  the  earliest  dawn  of 
the  Reformation  broke  upon  a  darkened  world. 
In  the  latter  part  of  the  fourteenth  century 
John  Wycliffe  had  begun  to  put  the  Bible  into 
the  hands  of  the  common  people,  and  was  send- 
ing out  his  priests  to  read  and  to  preach  the 
Word  of  God  in  England. 

John  Huss,  in  Bohemia,  was  one  of  the  people  John  Hubs. 
who  had  read  Wycliffe's  Bible.     He,  too,  felt 
that  it  ought  to  be  read  by  the  common  people, 
and  therefore  had  Wycliffe's  works  translated 
into  Bohemian.    He  denounced  with  great  bold- 


162  TUE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 

ness  the  errors  and  abuses  which  he  saw  in  the 
Roman  Church.  "  Christ,"  he  said,  "  is  the  head 
of  the  Church,  not  the  pope."  For  more  than 
ten  years  this  faithful  man  preached  eloquent 
sermons  in  Prague,  until  he  was  excommunicated 
and  forced  to  leave  the  city.  His  books  were 
publicly  burned  by  the  Archbishop  of  Prague, 
but  PIuss  exclaimed,  "  Fire  does  not  consume 
truth."  Still  he  continued  to  preach,  in  spite 
of  all  hindrances,  and  many  were  led  to  the 
truth;  but  at  last  he  was  summoned  to  appear 
before  the  Council  of  Constance,  where  he  and 
his  books  were  condemned  to  the  flames.  He 
was  burned  at  the  stake  on  the  sixth  of  July, 
1415.  The  anniversary  of  that  day  is  as  much 
observed  now  in  Bohemia,  we  are  told,  as  is 
Washington's  birthday  in  America. 

Yet  he  did  not  die  in  vain,  for  many  had  read 
the  books  that  were  burned,  and  had  listened  to 
his  faithful  preaching,  and  believed  the  doctrines 
which  he  taught.    Among  his  followers  was  one 
Jerome  Jerome  of  Prague,  who  also  was  imprisoned  for 

of  Prague,  preaching  and  teaching  the  same  doctrines.  He 
was  kept  in  a  dungeon  and  was  fed  on  only  bread 
and  water,  until,  worn  in  body  and  mind,  he  was 
persuaded  to  recant.  But  it  was  only  for  a 
short  time,  and  at  his  next  examination  he  de- 
clared that  his  recantation  Avas  the  greatest  sin 
he  had  ever  committed,  and  once  more  boldly 
proclaimed  what  he  believed  to  be  truth.  For 
this  fearlessness  in  teaching  what  the  Church 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  AUSTRIA  163 

pronounced  heresy,  he,  too,  suffered  martyrdom 
in  Constance  in  1416.  That  same  city  which 
condemned  these  two  men  now  takes  pride  in  the 
monument  erected  in  their  honor,  in  a  beautiful 
spot  a  little  outside  the  city.  In  the  city  hall 
of  Prague  itself  is  a  beautiful  painting  repre- 
senting Huss  before  the  Council  of  Constance ; 
in  Husinetz,  the  home  where  John  Huss  was 
born  is  now  the  property  of  the  American  Board, 
and  is  used  as  a  chapel,  where  the  truth  that 
John  Huss  proclaimed,  and  for  which  he  died, 
is  now  taught  every  week. 

The  number  of  followers  of  John  Huss  in-  Bohemia 
creased  until,  in  the  sixteenth  century,  the  ma-  sixteenth 
jority  of  the  Bohemians  were  Protestants.      In  and 
1619  they  revolted  against  the  emperor  of  Aus-   centuries, 
tria,  asserted  their  religious  liberty,  and  elected 
the  elector  Frederic  as  their  king.     In  1620  he 
was  defeated    near    Prague    by  the    Austrians, 
who  then  commenced  a   bitter   persecution   of 
the  Protestants  and  almost  exterminated  them. 

But  better  days  have  come,  and,  though  the 
established  church  is  Roman  Catholic  and  the 
majority  of  the  Bohemians  accept  that  faith, 
yet  other  religions  are  tolerated.  To-day,  in 
Bohemia  and  throughout  the  Austrian  Empire, 
any  religious  body  that  has  been  legally  recog- 
nized is  allowed  ordinary  public  worship,  and 
the  management  of  its  own  affairs. 

In  1872  the  American  Board  sent  out  three 
missionaries  and  their  wives  to  open  a  mission 


164 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  LATIN  LANDS 


Beginning 
of  Congrega- 
tional 
missions. 


The  first 
meetings. 


in  Austria.  Rev.  and  ]\Irs.  A.  W.  Clark,  who 
went  out  at  that  time,  are  still  working  in 
Prague,  where  they  were  joined  in  1891  by 
Rev.  and  Mrs.  J.  S.  Porter.  They  found  a 
few  missionary  workers  already  on  the  field. 
The  Free  Church  of  Scotland  was  workinsr 
among  the  Jews  in  Vienna,  Pesth,  and  Prague; 
the  United  Presbyterians  of  Scotland  were 
supporting  a  few  pastors  and  evangelists  in 
northern  Bohemia;  the  Continental  Society  of 
London  was  working  through  the  Reformed 
Church,  and  the  Moravian  Brethren  were  also  at 
work,  while  the  American  and  Foreign  Christian 
Union  was  represented  in  Hungary  by  colpor- 
teurs and  Bible  women.  The  new  missionaries 
were  warmly  welcomed  by  the  evangelistic 
Avorkers  in  Austria,  and  by  a  few  of  the  Prot- 
estant pastors,  but  there  was  much  opposition 
from  the  Roman  Catholics.  There  was  very 
little  religious  liberty  in  Austria  at  that  time, 
and  all  that  could  be  done  at  first  was  to  obtain 
permission  from  the  chief  of  police  to  open  a 
small  hall  at  which  a  lecture  might  be  delivered 
on  "Loving  One's  Neighbor."  With  much 
difficulty  this  permission  was  obtained,  "  just 
for  once,"  that  the  police  might  see  what  the 
character  of  the  service  would  be.  Finding 
nothing  objectionable  in  it,  they  allowed  the 
meetings  to  be  continued,  though  the  Catholic 
Church  was  very  bitter  against  these  "  inter- 
lopers, "  as  they  considered  them. 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  AUSTRIA  165 

Every  obstacle  was  put  in  the  way  of  the  mis- 
sion, but  the  work  went  on,  and  in  1880  the 
first  "  Free  Reformed  Church "  was  organized 
in  Prague  with  twenty-six  members,  and  more 
and  more  people  came  under  the  influence  of  a 
pure  Gospel,  notwithstanding  tlie  continued 
hostility  of  the  government.  At  one  time  the 
Austrian  government  ordered  that  all  public 
meetings  of  the  Protestant  faith  should  be 
stopped.  Private  meetings  only  might  be  held, 
and  each  person  attending  them  must  show  a 
card  of  invitation.  Many  such  private  meet- 
ings, however,  were  held  in  different  places, 
and  many  tracts  and  portions  of  Scripture  were 
distributed. 

Toward  the  close  of  the  nineteenth  century 
the  movement  called  "  Los  from  Rom  "  began, 
which  was  largely  political  in  its  influence,  yet 
nevertheless  influenced  the  religious  lives  of 
many,  for  thousands  at  that  time  left  the  old 
Church,  and  many  of  them  began  to  attend  the 
Protestant  services,  and  the  halls  of  worship 
were  crowded  as  never  before. 

In  1902  the  Supreme  Court  of  Austria  de- 
clared the  Congregational  churches  of  the  em- 
pire to  be  Christian  churches,  thus  giving  them 
the  standing  they  had  long  desired.  Since  that  Growth  of 
time  the  work  has  greatly  grown  in  power  and  *^®  ^ork. 
influence.  In  one  year  twenty -two  thousand 
copies  of  the  Bible  were  distributed,  largely  by 
sale,  to  these  Bohemian  people,  and  since  their 


166  THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 

evangelistic  spirit  leads  them  to  establish  churches 
and  engage  in  Christian  work  wherever  they  go, 
the  influence  of  this  mission  is  extended  much 
farther  than  mere  figures  can  tell. 

At  the  present  time  (1908)  this  Austrian 
mission,  which  began  in  1872,  in  the  city  of 
Prague,  reports  two  missionary  families,  twenty- 
four  organized  churches,  with  Bohemian  preach- 
ers, evangelists,  colporteurs,  and  Bible  women 
to  the  number  of  forty -four. 

Some  membei's  of  these  mission  churches  have 
moved  on  into  Russia,  and,  especially  at  Lodz 
in  Russian  Poland,  they  have  found  freedom  to 
preach  tlie  Gospel,  the  Russian  government 
putting  no  hindrances  in  tlieir  way.  Dr.  Clark, 
of  Prague,  tells  us  that  a  Bohemian  can  learn 
Russian  in  six  months,  so  similar  are  the  lan- 
guages, and  thus  these  Bohemian  Christians 
have  been  able  to  do  good  evangelistic  work  iu 
that  region. 

Austria  in  America 

Even  when  the  mission  had  made  only  a 
small  beginning  in  Bohemia,  the  influence  of 
its  work  began  to  be  felt  in  our  own  land.  As 
early  as  1880  the  mission  arranged  to  give  to 
every  Bohemian  emigrant  to  America  a  copy  of 
the  New  Testament  in  his  own  language.  The 
mission  also  made  a  still  more  important  gift  to 
America,  in  giving  up  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Schauffler 


THE  GOSPEL    IN  PORTUGAL  167 

and  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Adams,  who  were  obliged 
for  reasons  of  healtli  to  return  to  this  country. 
Their  experience  of  mission  work  in  Prague 
and  their  knowledge  of  the  Bohemian  language 
fitted  them  to  begin  work  at  once  among  Bohe- 
mians in  Cleveland  and  Chicago.  Soon  they 
were  both  at  work  for  the  Slavic  races,  especially 
for  those  emigrants  who  had  been  in  any  way 
connected  with  the  mission  at  Prague,  but  also 
working  for  all  whom  they  could  influence. 

In  a  recent  report  from  his  mission  field  in 
Austria  Dr.  Clark  of  Prague  writes  as  follows: 

"  Looking  over  to  America,  we  see  in  Connecticut  Bohemian 
a  young  Bohemian  pastor  whom  we  claim  as  the  fruit  of  Pastors, 
our  work  here.  In  Pennsylvania  we  see  two  preachers, 
former  members  of  our  Young  Men's  Christian  Associa- 
tion ;  in  Cleveland  two  earnest  preachers  and  deacons 
who  are  rewards  of  our  labors  in  Bohemia  and  Moravia. 
In  Wisconsin,  Iowa,  Dakota,  Texas,  and  other  states  ap- 
pear the  fruits  of  our  Christian  Association  work." 

The  Scotch  Presbyterians  are  doing  a  good 
work  among  the  Jews  in  Budapest  and  other 
cities,  and  many  good  influences  are  going  forth 
in  the  Austrian  countries  through  the  labors  of 
colporteurs  and  Bible  women  sent  out  by  other 
societies. 

PART  in 
The  Gospel  in  Portugal 
The  early  history  of  Portugal  is  much  like  Portugal's 

<••  -iir-i  Ti-  greatest 

that   01   its   greater   neighbor   of    the    Iberian   days 


168 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  LATIN  LANDS 


peninsula,  and  though  interesting,  cannot  detain 
us  in  this  brief  review  of  mission  work.  The 
one  brief  and  brilliant  epoch  in  Portuguese 
history  began  toward  the  end  of  the  fourteenth 
century  under  the  able  King  John  I.,  and  lasted 
for  something  over  a  hundred  years.  During 
this  century  fearless  navigators  explored  the 
coast  of  Africa,  discovered  the  Azores,  doubled 
the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  and  discovered  and 
colonized  Brazil.  Then  the  reigning  pope  di- 
vided the  New  World,  though  it  was  not  his  to 
give,  between  Spain  and  Portugal.  She  had 
also  by  this  time  established  herself  in  Goa,  the 
Malacca  Islands  on  the  east  coast  of  Africa,  and 
in  Abyssinia.  Even  now,  after  centuries  of 
decadence,  Portugal  is,  territorially,  the  eleventh 
power  in  the  world,  though  much  of  this  terri- 
tory is  of  little  value. 

The  decline  of  Portugal  was  as  rapid  as  her 
rise,  and  the  latest  tragedy  by  which  her  king 
was  assassinated,  and  the  boy  Manuel  II.  raised 
to  the  throne,  is  still  fresh  in  the  public  mind. 

The  religious  history  of  Portugal  has  also 
been  much  like  that  of  her  sister  kingdom. 
Ignorance,  superstition,  and  the  horrors  of  the 
Inquisition  have  marked  it  for  centuries,  though 
there  is  now  more  religious  liberty  granted  than 
in  Spain. 

American  Christians  have  no  missions  in 
Portugal,  but  some  British  societies  are  at  work. 
The    Plymouth    Brethren    have    considerable 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  PORTUGAL  169 

strength.  The  Scotch  Church  in  Lisbon  also 
shelters  a  congregation  of  native  Protestants. 
The  English  Wesleyans  also  have  an  important 
work  in  Portugal,  in  Oporto  and  vicinity.  Rev. 
R.  H.  Moreton  has  spent  thirty-seven  years  in 
faithful  work  in  the  city  of  Oporto.  His  church, 
which  seats  three  liundred  and  fifty  people,  is 
crowded  every  Sunday,  and  frequent  conver- 
sions are  witnessed.  There  are  five  other  sta- 
tions in  the  vicinity,  and  day-schools  and  Sunday- 
schools  are  important  adjuncts  of  the  mission. 

TRAVELLERS'  GUIDE  TO  MISSIONS  IN  SPAIN. 
PORTUGAL,   AUSTRIA 

Spain 
Wesleyan  Methodist. 

Rev.  Franklyn    Smith,  Calle   Fuente   Castellana,   24, 
Barcelona. 

American  Board  (Congregational). 

Rev.  Jose  Marques,  San  Francisco,  28,  Bilbao. 
Rev.  "William  H.  Gulick,  Fortuny,  5,  Madrid. 
Normal  and  Preparatory  School  for  Girls,  Fortuny,  20, 
Madrid. 

Miss  Anna  F.  Webb. 

Miss  Alice  II.  Bushee. 

Miss  Mary  L.  Page. 

Miss  May  Morrison. 
Rev.  Angel  Digon,  Jauregui,  16,  San  Sebastian. 
Rev.  Francisco  Acosta,  Isabel  la  Catolica,  4,  Santander. 
Rev.  Carlos  Araujo,  San  Pablo,  39,  Zaragoza. 

Scotch  Presbyterian. 

Rev.  William  Douglas,  Jose  Navarrete,  62,  Cadiz. 
Rev.  Rafael  Blanco,  Candelaria,  12,  Cordova. 


170  THE  GOSPEL   IN   LATIN  LANDS 

Rev.  J.  Jeffrey,  Casa  Colon,  Huelva. 
Rev.    Emilio   Carreno,    Plaza   de    Sau    Augustiu,    11, 
Seville. 

English  Independent. 

Miss  I\I.  Brown,  Guinibarda,  17,  Malaga. 
Rev.  J.  Baikley,  Carretera  de  dense,  5,  Vigo. 

Iglesia  Reformada. 

Rev.  Francisco  Paloinares,  Relator,  19,  Seville. 
Rev.  Romualdo  Jimenez,  Afueras  de  Sancti  Spiritus, 
2,  Salamanca. 

Swedish  Baptist. 

Rev.  John  Uhr,  Calle  Navarra,  3,  Valencia. 

Austria 
American  Board. 

Rev.  Albert  W.  Clark,  Prague,  Sinichov,  280. 
Rev.  John  S.  Porter,  Prague,  AVeinberge,  1015. 

Portugal 
Wesleyan  Methodist. 
Rev.  R.  H.  More  ton,  Oporto. 

TOPICS   FOR   FURTHER   STUDY 
For  Women's  Clubs  or  for  Individuals 

Story  of  the  Inquisition. 
Ignatius  Loyola  and  the  Jesuits. 
Religious  Art  in  Spain. 
Noted  AVomen  in  Spain. 

Current  Events  in  Spain  and  Portugal  in  their  Relation 
to  Protestantism. 

Portugal  and  her  Colonies. 

Rise  and  Fall  of  Protestantism  in  Spain. 

Story  of  John  Huss. 
History  of  the  Moravians. 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  PORTUGAL  111 

*'  The  Unhappy  House  of  Hapsburg." 
Present  Religious  Conditions  in  Austria. 

For  Neighborhood  Reading  Circles 

"  Spain."     By  Edmondo  de  Amicis. 

"Wanderings  in  Spain."     Augustus  J.  C.  Hare. 

"The  Alhambra."     Washington  Irving. 

"  The  Conquest  of  Granada."     Washington  Irving. 

"  Legends  of  the  Conquest  of  Spain."  Washington 
Irving. 

"  Essay  on  Lord  IVIahon's  History  of  the  War  of  the 
Succession  in  Spain."     Macaulay. 

"  Loyola  and  the  Jesuits."  From  Macaulay's  "  Essay 
on  Ranke's  History  of  the  Popes." 

"  The  Spanish  Brothers."  A  Tale  of  the  Sixteenth 
Century. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

"  The  Court  of  Philip  IV."     Martin  A.  S.  Hume. 

"The  Bible  in  Spain."     Borrow. 

"  Spanish  Protestants  in  the  Sixteenth  Century." 
Wilkins. 

"The  Church  in  Spain."     Canon  Meyrick. 

"  History  of  Spain."     U.  Burke. 

"  Modern  Spain."     Martin  A.  S.  Hume. 

"  History  of  Austria."  (Story  of  the  Nations.)  S. 
Whitman. 

"  Through  Portugal."     Martin  A.  S.  Hume. 

ILLUSTRATIVE   SELECTIONS 

A  Spanish  correspondent  of  the  London  Times,  who 
seems  to  be  wholly  out  of  sympathy  with  all  religious  work 
in  Spain,  whether  Protestant  or  Catholic,  speaks  in  a 
recent  article  of  the  dangers  to  Spain  from  within  the 
Catholic  Church  itself.  Although  he  evidently  feels  no 
interest  in  the  religious  work  done  by  the  Protestant 
schools,  yet  he  tells  us  that  many  people  are  sending  their 


172  THE  GOSPEL  IN  LATIN  LANDS 

children  to  these  schools  because  the  teaching  is  better 
and  more  quickly  given.  They  gladly  pay  for  having 
their  children  taught  b}'  these  Protestant  teachers,  spite 
of  the  fact  that  they  might  have  free  education  in  the 
government  schools. 

"  The  danger  to  the  Spanish  Church,"  he  says,  "  is  not 
so  much  from  the  small  number  of  Protestants  as  yet  to 
be  found  in  that  land,  as  from  the  spread  of  indifferent- 
ism,  from  its  own  dissensions,  from  financial  difficulties^ 
and  the  revolt  of  laymen  against  clerical  dictation." 

Speaking  of  the  members  of  the  Catholic  Church,  he 
saj's :  "  No  doubt,  there  is  still  faith.  The  smartly  dressed 
lady  who  crosses  herself  ostentatiously  for  the  edification 
of  the  people,  as  her  carriage  passes  a  church,  is  un- 
troubled by  doubt  or  by  knowledge,  and  is  a  real  elements 
of  strength  to  the  clergy.  Whether  the  no  less  well- 
dressed  gentleman  who  sits  beside  her  is  to  be  relied  on 
for  more  than  a  disposition  to  avoid  disputes  at  home^ 
and  a  general  leaning  to  support  the  Church  as  a  conser- 
vative institution,  is  another  matter.  The  Church  would 
do  well  not  to  rely  on  him  to  make  a  serious  sacrifice  in 
purse  or  person.  .  .  .  When  we  get  away  from  the 
gentlemen  who  are  Catholic,  not  because  the  Catholic 
doctrine  is  true,  for  on  that  point  their  minds  are  blank, 
but  because  it  is  Si:)anish  and  traditional  and  conserva- 
tive, we  come  to  the  Spaniards  who  do  believe.  But  the 
question  is.  in  what? 

"After  many  years'  experience,  direct  and  indirect,  I 
should,  for  my  part,  say,  that  they  believe  in  the  Virgin 
of  their  own  district,  or  in  some  other  wonder-working  im- 
age. .  .  .  There  is,  near  Barcelona,  a  miraculous  image 
of  St.  Joseph  of  the  Mount,  belonging  to  a  teaching 
sisterhood.  Thousands  of  letters  are  sent  to  it  every  year 
containing  petitions.  They  are  ceremoniously  burned  on 
state  occasions,  and  the  belief  of  the  sender  can  hardly 
be  other  than  that,  in  this  way,  the  contents  are  conveyed 
to  the  saint.     Now  we  need  not  inquire  by  what  ingenu- 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  PORTUGAL  173 

ities  of  verbal  legerdemain  all  this  is  distinguished 
from  idolatry  pure  and  simple.  Enough  that  it  prevails 
to  an  enormous  extent  in  Spain,  and  that  it  is  not  the 
kind  of  faith  which  can  be  relied  on  to  resist  the  spread 
of  enlightenment.  It  looks  more  and  more  foolish  to  the 
younger  men  who  are  being  carried  apart  from  the  old 
settled  Spanish  ways.  And  so  the  Church  is  menaced  at 
its  foundation."  ^ 

Ignatius  Loyola  and  the  Jesuits 

Ignatius  Loyola  bore  the  same  part  in  the  great  Cath- 
olic reaction  which  Luther  bore  in  the  great  Protestant 
movement.  Dissatisfied  with  the  system  of  the  Thea- 
tines,  the  enthusiastic  Sjjaniard  turned  his  face  toward 
Home.  Poor,  obscure,  without  a  patron,  without  recom- 
mendations, he  entered  the  city  where  now  two  princely 
temples,  rich  with  painting  and  many-colored  marble, 
commemorate  his  great  services  to  the  Church;  where  his 
form  stands  sculptured  in  massive  silver ;  where  his  bones, 
enshrined  amidst  jewels,  are  placed  beneath  the  altar  of 
God.  His  activity  and  zeal  bore  down  all  opposition,  and 
under  his  rule  the  order  of  Jesuits  began  to  exist,  and 
grew  rapidly  to  the  full  measure  of  his  gigantic  powers. 
With  what  vehemence,  with  what  policy,  with  what  exact 
discipline,  with  what  dauntless  courage,  with  what  self- 
denial,  with  what  forgetfulness  of  the  dearest  private 
ties,  with  what  intense  and  stubborn  devotion  to  a  single 
end,  with  what  unscrupulous  laxity  and  versatility  in  the 
choice  of  means,  the  Jesuits  fought  the  battle  of  their 
church,  is  written  in  every  page  of  the  annals  of  Europe 
during  several  generations.  In  the  Order  of  Jesus  was 
concentrated  the  quintessence  of  the  Catholic  Spirit;  and 
the  history  of  the  Order  of  Jesus  is  the  history  of  the 
great  Catholic  reaction.  That  order  possessed  itself  at 
once  of  all  the  strongholds  which  command  the  public 

1  From  the  London  Times. 


174  THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 

mind ;  of  the  pulpit,  of  the  press,  of  the  confessional, 
of  the  academies.  Wherever  the  Jesuit  preached  the 
church  was  too  small  for  the  audience.  The  name  of 
Jesuit  on  a  title-page  secured  the  circulation  of  a  book. 
It  was  in  the  ears  of  the  Jesuit  that  the  powerful,  the 
noble,  and  the  beautiful  breathed  the  secret  history  of 
their  lives.  .  .  . 

Some  described  these  divines  as  the  most  rigid,  others 
as  the  most  indulgent  of  spiritual  directors ;  and  both  de- 
scriptions were  correct.  The  truly  devout  listened  with 
awe  to  the  high  and  saintly  morality  of  the  Jesuit.  The 
gay  cavalier  who  had  run  his  rival  through  the  body,  the 
frail  beauty  who  had  forgotten  her  marriage  vow,  found 
in  the  Jesuit  an  easy,  well-bred  man  of  the  world,  who 
knew  how  to  make  allowance  for  the  little  irregularities 
of  people  of  fashion.  The  confessor  was  strict  or  lax, 
according  to  the  temper  of  the  penitent.  .  .  .  The  first 
object  was  to  drive  no  person  out  of  the  pale  of  the 
Church.  Since  there  were  bad  people,  it  was  better  that 
they  should  be  bad  Catholics  than  bad  Protestants.  If  a 
person  was  so  unfortunate  as  to  be  a  bravo,  a  libertine, 
or  a  gambler,  that  was  no  reason  for  making  him  a 
heretic,  too.  —  Thomas  Babington  INIacaulay. 


PART   II 
LATIN   AMERICA 

America  !  half  brother  of  the  world  ! 

With  something  good  and  bad  of  every  land. 

—  P.  J.  Bailey, 


IMPORTANT   DATES   IN   THE   HISTORY   OF 
MEXICO 

648  A. P.     (doming  of  the  Toltecs  to  Anahuac. 

1196.  Coining  of  the  Aztecs.  Tenochtitlan,  now  Mexico 
City,  their  capital. 

1519.     Cortez  entered  Tenochtitlan. 

1521.  Triumphal  entry  of  the  Spaniards  into  Tenoch- 
titlan. 

1547.     Death  of  Cortez. 

300  years  of  Spanish  misrule. 

1810.  Hidalgo,  the  patriot  priest  of  Dolores,  leader  of 

the  revolutionary  movement. 

1811.  Patriot  army  defeated.     Hidalgo  beheaded. 

1821.  Mexican  independence  achieved. 

1822.  Iturbide  elected  emperor. 

1822.     Later,  republic  of  Mexico  declared  by  Santa  Ana. 

1824.  Constitution  much  like  that  of  United  States  pro- 

claimed. 

1825.  The    republic  recognized   by  United   States  and 

England. 
1828-1846.     Revolutions. 
1836.     Texas  made  an  independent  state. 

1845.  Texas  admitted  to  the  Union. 

1846.  Beginning  of  Mexican  War. 

1847.  United  States  troops  entered  Mexico  City. 

1848.  Treaty  of  Peace ;  all  territory  north  and  east  of 

the  Rio  Grande  ceded  to  the  United  States  on 
payment  to  Mexico  of  115,000,000. 

1856.  Landed  estates  of  Roman  Catholic  Church  sold 
and  monasteries  suppressed. 

1858-1872.     Benito  Juarez  president. 

1861.  Mexican  Congress  voted  to  suspend  payment  on 
the  bonds  and  interest  of  the  republic,  held  by 
foreigners.  This  gave  excuse  for  European 
invasion. 

N  177 


178  THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 

1861.  Fleet  of   the    allies  arrived   at   Vera  Cruz  from 

France,  Spain,  and  England. 

1862.  A  treaty  made  with  the  understanding  that  troops 

should  be  withdrawn.  English  and  Spanish 
withdrew,  but  French  troops  remained  and 
were  soon  reenforced. 

1863.  An  "  Assembly  of  Notables  "  declared  that  Mexico 

should  be  made  a  hereditary  monarchy  under 
a  Catholic  prince;  the  throne  was  offered  to 
[Maximilian,  who  accepted  on  condition  that  he 
should  be  elected  by  a  unanimous  vote  in  Mexico 
and  that  France  should  stand  by  him. 

1864.  Maximilian  and  Carlotta  crowned  in  ISIexico  City. 

The  United  States  objected,  and  Secretary 
Seward  informed  the  French  that  he  should 
give  the  matter  "  serious  consideration." 

1866.  French  troops  withdrawn  from  Mexico. 

1867.  Maximilian  captured   and  executed   by  order  of 

Benito  Juarez. 
1867-1884.     Revolutions  more  or  less  serious. 
1884.     Porfirio  Diaz  elected   president,  which   office   he 

still  holds. 

CENTRAL   AMERICA 

1502.     Coast  of  Central  America  discovered  by  Columbus. 
1513.     Balboa  crossed   the   isthmus  and  discovered   the 

Pacific. 
1524.     Central  America  made  a  Spanish  dependency. 
1811.     Revolutions  began. 
1823.     The  fire  states  proclaimed  their  independence  and 

formed  a  federal  union. 
1839.     Honduras  an  independent  republic. 

1850.  Great  Britain  claimed  British  Honduras. 

1851.  Guatemala  an  independent  republic. 
1873.     Religious  liberty  guaranteed. 


CHAPTER  IV 

THE    GOSPEL    IN    MEXICO,    CENTRAL    AMERICA, 
THE    WEST   INDIES 

In  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  century  the  Latin 

.A.iii6ric&* 

greater  part  of  the  two  Americas  would  have 
been  included  under  the  title  "Latin  America." 
The  only  part  of  America  where  the  English 
language  was  then  spoken  was  the  small  por- 
tion of  the  country  between  the  Alleghany 
Mountains  and  the  Atlantic  Ocean.  To  the 
northward  all  was  French  or  Indian,  the  region 
around  the  Mississippi  was  French  and  Spanish. 
Florida  and  all  the  region  south  of  it  was 
Spanish,  as  well  as  the  West  Indies. 

When  Wolfe  conquered  Quebec,  all  Canada  Anglo-Saxon 
became    British  America.     In    1803    Napoleon        eJ^^^S" 
ceded  Louisiana  to  the  United  States,  and  the 
Mississippi  was  opened  to  all.     In  1820  Florida 
was   added.     In    1853    our    present   southern 
boundaries  were   fixed.     The   Spanish  War  in 
1898   put    Cuba    under   our   protection,    while 
Porto  Rico  became  a  part  of  the  United  States. 
Thus  there  has  come   to   be    an    Anglo-Saxon 
America  as  well  as  a  Latin  America,  and  the 
latter,  consciously  or  unconsciously,  looks  to  us 
for  example  and  inspiration. 
179 


180 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  LATIN  LANDS 


The  two 
republics. 


The  Toltecs. 


1.    TJie  Story  of  Mexico 

By  far  the  most  important  country  of  Latin 
America  north  of  Panama  is  Mexico,  whose 
story  we  are  now  to  study.  It  is  most  interest- 
ing to  compare  the  history  and  development  of 
the  two  republics  of  North  America,  Mexico 
and  the  United  States,  that  divide  between 
them  so  large  a  portion  of  the  continent.  Both 
republics  have  an  interesting  histor}^  both  have 
been  blessed  by  the  unselfish  labors  of  sincere 
patriots,  but  they  differ  as  widely  in  tradition, 
in  present  conditions,  and  in  future  prospects  as 
any  two  of  the  greater  nations  of  the  world. 
No  better  illustration  can  anywhere  be  found  of 
the  influence  of  the  early  settlers  of  a  country 
in  establishing  the  trend  of  its  future  history. 
Mexico  differs  from  the  United  States  as  Spain 
differs  from  Great  Britain,  as  Catholicism  dif- 
fers from  Protestantism,  as  religious  intolerance 
differs  from  religious  freedom,  as  Cortez  and  his 
rapacious  hordes  differed  from  the  Pilgrim 
Fathers. 

For  this  brief  sketch  we  need  write  but  few 
words  concerning  Mexico  before  the  Spanish 
Conquest.  We  know  of  a  great  and  noble 
race  of  natives  called  the  Toltecs,  who  are  sup- 
posed to  have  been  the  ruling  power  in  Mexico 
more  than  twelve  hundred  years  ago.  They 
were  overwhelmed  by  the  wild  Aztecs  in  the 
twelfth   century,    much   as   the    Romans   were 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  MEXICO  181 

overrun  by  the  Goths.  In  the  same  way,  also, 
the  Aztecs  assimilated  the  civilization  of  the 
Toltecs,  adopting  their  laws  and  customs.  The 
beautiful  palaces,  temples,  and  great  cities  of 
the  Toltecs  were  inherited  by  the  Aztecs,  and 
in  spite  of  the  vandalism  of  centuries,  some 
remnants  are  still  left  to  tell  of  the  architectu- 
ral glory  of  those  ancient  dnjs. 

The  Aztecs  were  far  more  cruel  and  blood- 
thirsty than  tlie  Toltecs,  and  introduced  even 
into  their  religious  rites  awful  human  sacrifices, 
the  account  of  which  still  makes  the  world 
shudder.  But  the  Aztecs,  fierce  and  warlike 
as  they  were,  were  no  match  for  the  Spaniards, 
for  they  had  only  bows  and  arrows  to  oppose  to 
powder  and  shot.  These  invaders  gave  to 
Mexico  its  modern  name,  derived  from  Mexica, 
or  Azteca. 

It  is  interesting  to  notice  that  the  civilization  The 
of  these  southern  tribes  of  Indians   in   North  i°'^'^"^°', 

Mexico  and 

America  was  far  greater  than  tliat  of  the  north-  North 
ern  tribes.  Here  they  had  their  great  cities  °^^"^^- 
and  their  temples,  their  aqueducts  of  splen- 
did masonry,  their  hieroglyphic  writings  and 
inscriptions,  while  their  ruins  bear  so  close  a 
resemblance  to  those  of  Egypt  that  many  think 
that  the  earliest  civilization  of  the  two  nations 
is  derived  from  a  common  source.  In  the  north 
only  wandering  tribes  of  nomads  opposed  the 
coming  of  the  Europeans.  Their  opposition 
was  but  feeble  and  desultory,  as  compared  with 


182  THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 

the  resistance  of  the  Aztecs,  and  their  influence 
on  the  future  civilization  of  the  country  was  as 
nothing  compared  with  the  predominance  of  the 
Indians  in  the  south. 

The  Spanish  conquerors  intermarried  with 
the  Indians,  until  now  eighty  per  cent  of  the 
inhabitants  have  Indian  blood  in  their  veins, 
and  only  twenty  per  cent  are  pure  Caucasians. 
Some  of  the  greatest  names  in  Mexican  history, 
like  Hidalgo  and  Juarez,  have  been  pure-blooded 
Indians,  while  many  others,  like  the  great  presi- 
dent who  has  so  long  ruled  the  destinies  of 
Mexico,  have  the  blood  of  the  Aztecs  in  their 
veins. 

The  Spanish  rule  in  Mexico,  like  the  rule  of 
Spain  in  all  her  colonies,  was  about  as  bad  as 
it  could  be.  Not  only  was  Cortez  cruel  and 
bloodthirsty  in  the  extreme,  but  he  was  suc- 
ceeded by  a  long  line  of  rulers  who  exploited 
the  country  for  their  own  benefit,  ground  down 
and  oppressed  the  people,  and  used  the  power 
of  the  Church  and  the  awful  tortures  of  the 
Inquisition  to  bring  them  under  spiritual  bond- 
age, which  was  even  more  complete  and  galling 
than  physical  slavery.  But  there  was  a  stead- 
fast spirit  in  the  ancient  people  which  could  not 
be  entirely  crushed  out,  and  when  the  spirit  of 
freedom,  following  hard  upon  our  own  Revolu- 
tionary War  and  the  French  Revolution,  began 
to  stir  in  the  hearts  of  the  people  of  Spanish 
America,  such  leaders  as  Santa  Ana,  Hidalgo, 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  MEXICO  183 

and  Iturbide  came  to  the  front,  to  head  what 
seemed  at  first  a  hopeless  revolution,  but  which, 
after  years  of  turmoil  and  bloodshed,  has  re- 
sulted in  the  stable  and  prosperous  republic  of 
the  present  day. 

The  priest  Hidalgo  has  been  compared,  and  mdaigo, 
not  without  reason,  to  our  own  Washington,  as   '.'  ^''®  ^af i^- 

.  .      ^  ington  of 

the  leader  of  the  cause  of  Mexican  liberty,  but  Mexico." 
how  different  was  his  fate  !  Instead  of  being 
honored  by  his  own  generation  and  elected  to 
the  chief  magistracy,  he  was  defeated,  degraded, 
and  excommunicated  by  the  Church,  was  handed 
over  to  the  civil  authorities,  by  whom  he  was 
executed,  and  his  head  was  exposed  to  the  gaze 
of  tlie  public.  Nevertheless,  Miguel  Hidalgo 
was  the  Father  of  liis  Country.  He  did  not  die 
in  vain,  and  the  train  of  events  which  he  fired 
resulted  in  the  freedom  and  religious  liberty 
which  were  so  cruelly  denied  to  himself. 

When  men  began  to  think,  they  found  that  True 
religious  liberty  was  essential  to  freedom,  and 
they  also  discovered  that  one-third  of  the  whole 
property  of  the  Mexican  nation  had  been  ab- 
sorbed by  the  Catholic  Church  and,  not  being 
taxed,  bore  no  share  of  government  expenses, 
and  that  churches  and  convents  were  still  mul- 
tiplying to  such  an  extent  that  they  threatened 
to  obtain  control  of  the  nation's  wealth.  It  was 
not,  however,  until  more  than  forty  years  after 
the  death  of  Hidalgo  that  the  reaction  against 
the  abuses  of  spiritual  power  reached  its  height. 


freedom 
for  Mexico. 


184 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  LATIN  LANDS 


Juarez, 
"  the  Lin- 
coln of 
Mexico." 


Mexico  and 
the  two 
Napoleons. 


But  in  1867  nothing  could  withstand  the  indig- 
nation of  the  awakened  people,  and  the  new 
constitution  and  the  reform  laws  of  President 
Juarez,  which  liad  been  proclaimed  ten  years  be- 
fore, went  into  full  effect.  It  was  indeed  a  sweep- 
ing change  that  was  inaugurated.  "Among 
other  measures  the  new  laws  provided  for  relig- 
ious freedom,  freedom  of  the  press,  the  national- 
ization of  the  Church  property  valued  at  two 
hundred  millions  of  dollars.  The  Jesuits  were 
banished,  religious  processions  were  forbidden, 
civil  marriages  instituted,  and  the  state  recog- 
nized no  religious  festival  except  the  Sabbath, 
as  a  day  of  rest." 

If  the  priest  Hidalgo  was  "  the  Washington 
of  Mexico,"  Juarez  has  been  called  with  equal 
aptness  "  the  Lincoln  of  Mexico,"  for  lie  led 
the  people  through  a  terrible  period  of  war, 
when  he  himself  was  driven  from  his  own  capi- 
tal, and  for  months  was  a  fugitive  on  the  borders 
of  Texas.  But  his  heart  never  failed  him,  and 
with  a  courage,  patience,  and  constancy  worthy 
of  Abraham  Lincoln  himself  he  at  last  led  his 
people  out  into  the  large  place  of  liberty  and 
subsequent  prosperity. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that,  while  the  first 
awakening  of  Mexico  was  due  indirectly  to  the 
first  Napoleon,  when  he  attempted  to  place  his 
brother  on  the  throne  of  the  Spanish  Bourbons 
in  Spain,  and  thus  Aveakened  the  allegiance  of 
all  the  Spanish-American  colonies  to  the  mother 


TUE  GOSPEL  IN  MEXICO  185 

country,  so  the  final  independence  of  Mexico 
was  due  to  Napoleon  III.,  though  no  credit  be- 
longs to  him  for  the  result,  since  it  was  his  pur- 
pose to  take  advantage  of  our  Civil  War,  which 
absorbed  the  resources  of  North  and  South  alike, 
to  force  European  power  upon  Mexico,  and  make 
Maximilian  of  Austria  her  emperor.  At  first  it 
looked  as  though  he  would  be  successful  in  this 
attempt,  and  jNIaximilian  was  conducted  to  the 
capital  of  Mexico  with  great  j^omp,  and  appar- 
ently with  great  rejoicing.  But  it  was  soon 
evident  that  the  welcome  was  given  him  by 
the  clerical  party,  and  not  by  the  people  at 
large. 

The  rejoicing  was  short-lived,  indeed.  Only  Maximilian 
four  months  after  tlie  new  emperor  and  empress 
reached  their  capital  city  our  Civil  War  came  to  a  The  Monroe 
close.  A  strong  intimation  was  given  to  France  ^*^c*^"^^- 
that  no  empire  should  be  established  on  Amer- 
ican soil,  if  France  wished  to  remain  at  peace 
with  the  United  States.  The  French  emperor 
soon  took  the  hint,  the  more  quickly  as  it  was  seen 
that  inevitable  failure  of  his  plans  would  result, 
and  that  they  were  exceedingly  unpopular  even 
with  his  own  people.  When  the  French  troops 
were  withdrawn,  the  fate  of  Maximilian  was 
practically  sealed.  In  1866  Carlotta  fled  to  Eu- 
rope to  try  to  induce  Napoleon  to  continue  to  sup- 
port the  tottering  court,  but  it  was  of  no  avail, 
and,  early  in  the  next  year,  Maximilian  himself 
was  captured  at  Queretaro,  and,  with  two  of  his 


186 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 


leading  generals,  was  court-martialled  and  sen- 
tenced to  be  shot. 

In  spite  of  the  folly  of  the  attempt,  the  sym- 
pathy of  the  world  was  not  forfeited  by  the  un- 
happy emperor  and  empress,  for  they  did  their 
best,  by  liberal  laws  and  extensive  charities,  to 
win  the  hearts  of  the  people.  The  cause  to 
which  they  gave  their  lives,  however,  was  too 
selfish  to  command  the  respect  of  the  nations, 
and  the  harsh  fate  of  Maximilian  has  been  pro- 
nounced a  deserved  judgment  upon  his  folly  and 
that  of  those  who  urged  him  on  to  his  tragic  fate. 
Benito  Juarez  returned  from  his  long  exile,  and 
from  this  time  the  freedom  of  the  republic  was 
established,  the  religious  liberty,  proclaimed  ten 
years  before,  was  confirmed,  and  Mexico  was 
started  upon  her  career  of  stability  and  pros- 
perity,—  a  prosperity  which  was  never  more 
pronounced  than  at  the  present  time. 

For  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  Presi- 
dent Porfirio  Diaz,  who  was  one  of  the  leading 
generals  in  achieving  the  liberty  of  Mexico, 
has  been  at  the  head  of  the  government.  His 
enlightened  rule  has  greatly  added  to  the  pros- 
perity and  wealth  of  the  country.  Railroads 
have  been  built,  telegraph  lines  stretched  from 
one  end  of  the  great  republic  to  the  other, 
and  internal  improvements  of  many  kinds  have 
been  fostered.  Equal  civil  and  political  rights 
and  complete  religious  toleration  have  been 
granted   to   people   of   all  colors,  and  in  some 


THE   GOSPEL   IN  MEXICO  187 

respects  Mexico  sets  a  good  example  to  her 
greater  neighbor  on  the  north.  President  Diaz 
has  also  one  of  the  finest  school  systems  in  the 
world,  with  boys  and  girls  on  an  equal  basis, 
and  tuition  free  even  through  the  professional 
scliools. 

Yet,  when  all  this  is  said,  Mexico  is  still  an  Mexico 
undeveloped  country.  In  reaching  the  capital  undeveloped 
from  the  frontier  one  travels  through  hundreds  country, 
of  miles  of  desert  land,  the  coast  is  poorly  pro- 
vided with  harbors,  especially  on  the  Atlantic 
side,  and  lying  so  largely  within  the  tropics, 
Mexico  does  not  possess  the  variety  of  prod- 
ucts of  her  nearest  neighbor  to  the  north. 
It  will  be  many  a  j^ear,  perhaps  many  a  century, 
before  the  wealth  of  Mexico  in  mine  and  forest, 
in  gold  and  silver  and  copper,  in  cotton  and 
coffee  and  rubber,  are  fully  developed.  It  is 
one  of  the  countries  of  the  world  to  which 
capitalists  will  direct  more  and  more  attention, 
and  whose  great  achievements  lie  in  the  future 
rather  than  in  the  past. 

The  capital  of  the  republic  deserves  a  para-  Mexico  City, 
graph  even  in  the  briefest  history,  not  only 
because  it  is  the  political  headquarters,  but 
because  so  much  of  the  missionary  work  of  the 
country  centres  there,  and  because  of  the  in- 
herent beauty  of  its  situation.  It  is  situated 
a  mile  and  a  half  above  the  level  of  the  sea, 
with  lofty  mountains  on  all  sides,  and  some  of 
the  mightiest  of  the  world's  hills  in  the  near 


188  TUE  GOSPEL  IN  LATIN  LANDS 

distance.  Ixtaccihuatl  and  Popocatepetl  lift 
their  mighty  snow-crowned  heads  within  sight 
of  the  city,  while  the  elevation  above  the  sea 
secures  to  the  inhabitants  a  temperate  and 
healthful  climate.  The  government  buildings 
and  some  of  the  churches  are  notable  struc- 
tures. Chapultepec,  the  summer  residence  of 
the  president  of  the  republic,  occupies  a  re- 
markably picturesque  hill  near  the  heart  of 
the  city,  the  only  elevation  in  the  great  plain. 
The  city  was  founded  by  Cortez  almost  a  hun- 
dred years  before  the  Pilgrims  landed  at  Plym- 
outh, and  before  his  advent  it  was  a  sacred 
high  place  of  the  Aztecs.  The  population 
approaches  four  hundred  thousand,  making  it 
a  larger  city  than  our  own  capital,  while  as 
a  centre  of  the  wealth  and  learning,  as  well  as 
of  the  political  activity  of  the  country,  it  is  of 
far  more  relative  importance  than  is  Washing- 
ton to  the  United  States. 

Guadalajara  is  considered  by  many  a  more 
beautiful  city  than  Mexico,  and  is  also  the 
centre  of  many  educational  interests,  and  of 
much  missionary  work.  While  Mexico  is  es- 
sentially an  agricultural  and  mining  country, 
there  are  yet  many  manufacturing  and  com- 
mercial cities  of  considerable  importance,  like 
Monterey,  Chihuahua,  Zacatecas,  Vera  Cruz, 
and  others. 

The  government  of  Mexico  is  modelled  after 
our  own  in  many  respects;  there  are  twenty- 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  MEXICO  189 

seven  states,  two  territories,  and  a  federal  dis-  The 
trict.  As  in  our  own  land,  each  state  has  its  of  Mexico'.^ 
governor  and  local  legislature,  which  controls 
all  affairs  not  delegated  to  the  federal  gov- 
ernment. The  union  of  states  has  also  two 
elected  houses  of  legislature,  and  the  president 
is  chosen  by  the  people  for  a  term  of  years. 
There  is,  however,  no  objection  apparently 
to  a  third,  or  fourth,  or  fifth  term,  when  the 
right  man  is  found  to  wear  the  dignities  of  the 
office,  and  the  rule  of  Diaz,  which  would  be 
resented  as  a  dictatorship  in  our  own  country, 
is  gladly  welcomed  by  our  neighbors,  because 
they  find  in  it  a  guarantee  of  stability,  immu- 
nity from  the  revolutions  of  the  past,  and  a 
promise  of  larger  prosperity  in  the  future. 


Missions  in  Mexico 

It  is  but  six  days'  journey  from  the  city  of  Mexico  a 
Boston  to  the  city  of  Mexico,  yet  the  traveller  ^'°™®  *°** 

11,..  foreign 

who  talies  this  journey  finds  himself  in  a  coun-  country. 
try  widely  different  from  his  own  in  language, 
customs,  and  religious  condition.  It  is  a  sign 
of  the  close  and  vital  connection  between  home 
and  foreign  missions  that,  while  the  American 
Board  and  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
take  up  the  work  in  Mexico  as  a  foreign  mis- 
sion, most  other  boards  make  it  a  part  of  their 
home  missionary  work.  In  the  present  study 
we   shall   consider  simply  missions  in  Mexico, 


190  THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 

dropping  for   the  present    the  words    "home" 
and  "  foreign  "  from  our  thoughts. 

The  object  and  method  of  missionary  work 
in  Mexico  have  been  so  well  stated  by  the 
American  Board  in  its  "  History  of  Missions 
in  Mexico,"  that  we  quote  their  words  here : 

"The  object  of  missions  in  a  country  generally  known 
as  Roman  Catholic  is,  not  to  attack  and  disintegrate  the 
dominant  Church,  but  to  introduce  the  leaven  of  the  sim- 
ple Gospel  of  Christ,  and  to  plant  there  Gospel  institu- 
tions which  shall  produce  earnest,  sincere,  Christian  men 
and  women.  Under  existing  conditions  it  has  been  im- 
possible for  evangelical  Christians  in  Alexico  to  remain 
any  length  of  time  in  the  Catholic  Church,  and  this  has 
led  to  the  organization  in  that  country  of  separate  Prot- 
estant churches.  This  process  of  separation  must  neces- 
sarily continue  until  the  Catholic  Church  of  Mexico  is 
convinced  of  the  necessity  of  a  morally  upright,  educated 
clergy,  who  are  inspired  with  the  desire  and  purpose  to 
help  the  Mexican  people  to  imitate  in  their  own  lives  the 
life  and  character  of  Jesus  Christ." 

Protestant  missions  in  Mexico  have  been  bap- 
tized in  the  blood  of  the  martyrs,  and  already  since 
the  establishment  of  missions,  sixty-five  workers 
have  given  their  lives  for  the  cause.  Prejudice 
exists  still  in  many  places,  and  it  is  possible 
that  other  workers  may  still  be  sacrificed  in 
this  work,  until  a  change  of  spirit  shall  come 
over  the  entire  country.  Yet,  notwithstanding 
this  possibility,  it  can  truthfully  be  said  that, 
in  general,  the  foreign  missionaries  are  as  safe 
and  well  protected  as  in  any  other  land,  and 
the  missionaries  themselves,  by  their  lives  and 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  MEXICO  191 

their  work,  have  won  the  love  and  respect  of 
the  communities  among  which  they  live,  which 
is  in  itself  a  great  safeguard. 

During  the  Mexican  War  the  American  Bible  The 
Society  distributed  many  copies  of  the  Scripture  5,^^"*^*° 
in  that  country,  Avhich  doubtless  helped  to  pave  Society, 
the  way  for  Protestant  missions,  but  after  all 
it  was  a  woman  who  led  the  van,  as  the  first 
missionary  in  Mexico.     In  1855  Miss  Melinda 
Rankin,  who   had   been   teaching  a   school   in 
Brownsville,  Tex.,  went  to  Monterey  in  Mex- 
ico to  see  what  could  be  done  there  for  the 
cause  of  Christ.     Here,  some  ten  years  later, 
she  established  a  school,  and  by  her  own  beau- 
tiful life,  exerted  an  influence  that  will  never 
die. 

Another  pioneer,  who  is  often  spoken  of  as  Another 
the  tirst  missionary  to  Mexico,  was  Rev.  James  P^'^°®*'^- 
Hickey,  a  Baptist  clergyman  living  in  Texas. 
He  was  a  strong  Union  man,  and  during  the 
Civil  War  found  it  more  expedient  to  move 
across  the  border  into  Mexico.  He  soon  went 
to  Monterey,  where  he  associated  himself  with 
Mr.  Thomas  Westrupp,  a  young  Englishman 
living  in  that  city.  Mr.  Westrupp  knew  Span- 
ish, and  was  soon  able  to  begin  preaching.  In 
1864  a  church  was  organized  with  five  mem- 
bers, of  which  Mr.  Westrupp  became  pastor. 
Mr.  Hickey  lived  only  two  years,  and  then  Mr. 
Westrupp  succeeded  him  as  agent  of  the  Bible 
Society,  and  for    several   years    he  labored  as 


192 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  LATIN  LANDS 


a  colporteur  and  a  director  of  the  Mexican 
agents.  He  also  translated  many  Gospel  hymns 
into  Spanish,  which  are  still  used  in  the  Mex- 
ican churches.  Miss  Rankin,  too,  at  this  time 
joined  her  forces  with  those  of  Mr.  Westrupp, 
and  much  evangelistic  work  was  done  in  Monte- 
rey and  vicinity,  before  any  organized  denomi- 
national enterprises  were  undertaken  in  Mexico. 


ITie  Baptists  in  Mexico 

Encouraged  by  the  work  of  the  pioneer  Bap- 
tists, Mr.  Hickey  and  Mr.  Westrupp,  the  Home 
Missionary  Society  of  this  denomination  be- 
gan its  work  in  Mexico  in  1870,  strengthen- 
ing and  encouraging  the  work  which  already 
existed,  and  soon  organizing  new  work.  The 
church  in  Monterey  was  reorganized,  and  other 
churches  were  established  in  several  cities  of 
the  state  of  Coahuila. 

A  civil  war  in  Mexico,  and  other  difficulties, 
hindered  the  society  for  a  few  years,  but  the 
work  still  went  on,  and  in  1881  new  mission- 
aries and  Mexican  pastors  were  appointed. 
Since  that  time  the  work  has  greatly  prospered, 
and  to-day  members  of  this  mission  are  preach- 
ing the  Gospel  throughout  all  Mexico,  from  the 
north  to  the  south,  a  work  which  is  also  shared 
by  the  Southern  Baptist  Convention. 

The  Women's  Baptist  Home  Mission  Boards 
have  taken  a  large  share  in  this  work,  and  have 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  MEXICO  193 

flourishing  schools  in  Monterey,  Guadalupe,  and 
the  city  of  Mexico,  and  are  seeking  every  year 
more  and  more  to  fulfil  the  motto  of  the  society, 
"North  America  for  Christ." 

There  are  now  more  than  a  thousand  Baptists 
in  Mexico,  with  Sunday-schools,  day-schools, 
and  some  twenty-five  Mexican  preacliers,  the 
principal  work  of  the  board  being  carried  on 
in  New  Laredo,  San  Luis  Potosi,  and  Puebla, 
as  well  as  in  the  places  already  mentioned. 

But  the  good  work  done  by  these  mission-  Missions  and 
aries  is  seen  not  only  in  the  churches  founded,  education. 
but  in  other  influences.  The  cause  of  educa- 
tion everywhere  has  been  greatly  stimulated. 
As  an  example  of  this,  a  Mexican  pastor  not 
long  ago  went  to  a  place  where  there  was  no 
school  at  all,  and  soon  established  one.  The 
Catholic  priest,  not  liking  this,  started  another 
himself,  and  the  authorities  of  the  place,  not 
choosing  to  be  left  behind,  started  another,  so 
that  there  were  soon  three  flourishing  schools, 
where  there  would  have  been  none  at  all  but 
for  a  mission  worker  ;  and  the  same  thing  has 
happened  in  many  other  places. 

In  the  city  of  Mexico  the  Baptists  have  a  other 
good  mission  property,  including  a  church  ^^P^^^t 
building,  a  parsonage,  and  a  printing-ofhce, 
with  several  mission  stations  under  the  care 
of  this  church.  A  paper  called  La  Luz  (The 
Light)  is  published  as  the  organ  of  all  the 
Baptist  churches  of  the  country.     The  Baptist 


194 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 


missions  are  also  doing  a  good  work  among  the 
Mexicans  in  our  own  country,  in  the  territory 
of  New  Mexico,  whose  needs  and  difficulties  are 
much  the  same  as  those  of  the  Mexicans  of 
Mexico. 


V 


Congregational  Missions 

In  1872  the  American  Board  sent  two  mis- 
sionaries, Rev.  J.  L.  Stephens  and  Rev.  D.  F. 
Watkins,  to  begin  work  in  the  city  of  Guadala- 
jara, the  capital  of  the  state  of  Jalisco,  then  a 
city  of  eighty  thousand  inhabitants.  A  church 
of  seventeen  members  was  soon  organized.  In 
that  same  year  Mr.  Stephens  was  so  successful 
in  his  work  that  opposition  was  aroused,  a 
Catholic  priest  incited  a  mob  against  him,  and 
he  was  assassinated  together  Avith  one  of  his 
Mexican  assistants. 

The  work  grew,  however,  in  spite  of,  perhaps 
because  of,  the  persecutions.  New  missionaries 
were  sent  out,  and  though  for  a  few  years  there 
were  many  changes  in  the  mission  force,  yet  the 
cause  prospered.  In  1882  Rev.  John  Howland 
and  his  wife  went  out,  and  have  ever  since  been 
laboring  in  Guadalajara  and  the  surrounding 
villages. 

In  1882  a  new  mission  was  opened  in  Chihua- 
hua, under  Rev.  and  Mrs.  James  D.  Eaton, 
who  are  still  doing  valiant  service  in  that  city. 
At  that  time  there  was  no  Protestant  Church  in 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  MEXICO  195 

northwestern  Mexico,  and  little  work  was  done 
in  that  region  by  the  Catholic  Church.  It 
seemed  a  promising  field,  but  there,  as  else- 
where, much  opposition  has  been  shown. 

This  mission  is  now  carrying  on  its  work  in  Missions  in 
the  four  states  of  Jalisco,  Chihuahua,  Sonora, 
and  Sinaloa.  In  the  last  three  there  are  not 
many  priests,  and  the  people  are  .  allowed  to 
choose  what  religion  they  please,  or  to  do  with- 
out any.  There  are  also  many  pure  Indians 
in  these  states,  who  have  no  religious  instruc- 
tion and  no  education  from  the  state,  and  these 
people  are  glad  to  receive  the  missionaries. 

An  important  school  of  this  mission  is  the  Educational 
theological  seminary,  which,  after  several  mi-  ^°'"'* 
grations,  has  been  established  in  Guadalajara. 
Its  curriculum  has  been  so  enlarged  as  to  in- 
clude some  students  of  special  branches  who 
are  not  studying  for  the  ministry.  The  Girls' 
Boarding-schools  at  Chihuahua,  Guadalajara, 
and  Parral  are  doing  a  most  important  work. 
There  are  also  several  village  schools  for  girls, 
and  there  is  a  large  and  growing  demand  for 
more. 

One  of  the  most  influential  Protestant  papers 
of  Mexico,  Ul  Testigo  (The  Witness),  a  large 
family  paper  of  which  Mr.  Howland  is  the 
editor,  is  published  by  this  mission. 

The  work  may  be  summed  up  according  to  Summary 
the  latest  figures  as  follows  :  4  stations,  15  mis-  «/ Congrega- 

°  _  '  tionalwork. 

sionaries,  4  Mexican  pastors,  20  Mexican  teach- 


196 


TUE   GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 


ers,  preachers,  and  helpers,  26  churches  (2 
entirely  self-supporting),  45  regular  places 
of  worship,  33  Sunday-schools,  1  theological 
school,  3  boarding-schools,  and  7  day-schools. 


Methodist  Missions 

In  1873  Dr.  William  Butler  was  sent  out  as 
the  first  missionary  of  this  board  to  Mexico 
City.  He  found  the  city  filled  with  churches 
and  monasteries  which  were  then  in  the  hands 
of  the  government.  He  began  at  once  a  search 
for  suitable  buildings  in  which  to  begin  work, 
but  was  closely  watched,  and  many  hindrances 
were  put  in  his  way  by  the  Jesuits,  who  were 
determined  to  keep  out  Protestant  missionaries. 
Finally,  after  a  night  visit  to  the  monastery 
of  San  Francisco,  through  the  kind  help  of  a 
Catholic  Irishman,  he  was  able  to  jDurchase  this 
building,  and  to-day,  on  the  very  spot  where 
once  stood  the  old  palace  of  Montezuma,  and 
afterwards  a  Romish  convent,  now  stands  a 
beautiful  Methodist  church.  A  little  later 
work  was  also  begun  in  Puebla,  where  the 
examining  chapel  of  the  former  Inquisition 
was  secured  for  a  church. 

Although  there  was  nominally  freedom  of 
religion,  and  Protestant  missions  were  pro- 
tected by  government,  there  was  still  much 
persecution  and  many  hindrances,  but  the 
work  grew  and  prospered,  until  now  the  Metho- 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  MEXICO  197 

(list  Board  has  work  in  many  different  cities, 
with  schools,  colleges,  day-schools,  and  kinder- 
gartens and  a  theological  school  ;  with  fine 
church  buildings  and  large  congregations,  and 
with  many  earnest,  spiritual-minded,  and  gifted 
Mexican  pastors  and  preachers  and  teachers 
enlisted  in  the  work.  No  other  denomination 
is  found  in  so  many  parts  of  Mexico,  or  num- 
bers so  many  converts  in  its  churches.  The 
]\Iexican  people  themselves  are  giving  much  in 
support  of  the  work,  and  there  is  a  very  hope- 
ful outlook  for  the  future. 

A  paper  called  the  Illustrated  Christian  Ad- 
vocate is  published  weekly,  and  many  hymns, 
books,  catechisms,  religious  tracts,  text-books, 
and  other  publications  are  issued  by  the  Metho- 
dist Mission  Press. 

The  woman's  work  in  the  Methodist  churches  Woman's 
of  Mexico  is  extensive  and  encouraging,  and  is  Methodist  ^ 
carried  on  in  most  of  the  places  where  the  board  Church, 
has   any   work.     Two   ladies   sent  out  by  the 
Woman's    Foreign   Missionary    Society,    Miss 
Susan  Warner  and  Miss  Mary  Hastings,  opened 
a  school  in  the  capital  in  1874  with  twelve  or- 
phan girls  under  their  care.     The  number  soon 
increased,  and  in  1905  the  present  fine  building 
of   the    Sarah   L.    Keen  College   was   erected. 
Since  that  time  there  has  been  constant  growth 
and  progress  in  the  school  in  many  ways.     It 
includes  a  normal  department,  where  the  pupils 
study  pedagogy,  and  are  also  required  to  teach 


198 


THE  GOSPEL   IN   LATIN  LANDS 


for  at  least  one  year  under  the  direction  of  the 
missionaries  who  have  charge  of  the  school. 
The  Puebla  Normal  School  has  the  highest 
grade  of  all  the  girls'  boarding-schools  in  Mex- 
ico, and  this  and  others  are  doing  a  grand  work 
for  the  enlightenment  and  elevation  of  the  women 
of  Mexico.  The  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary 
Society,  besides  its  tine  system  of  schools  in  four 
centres,  Mexico  City,  Puebla,  Guanajuato,  and 
Pachuca,  has  also  much  other  work  in  the  differ- 
ent cities  carried  on  by  its  many  Mexican  helpers 
and  missionaries. 

It  is  gratifying  to  report  that  the  Methodists 
have  no  less  than  68  churches  with  5651  mem- 
bers, and  more  than  4000  pupils  in  the  day- 
schools.  They  have  also  a  growing  work 
among  young  Americans  living  in  ]\lexico. 

A  few  years  after  the  northern  Methodist 
Church  began  work,  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  South  entered  Mexico,  and  they  now 
have  stations  in  Monterey,  Saltillo,  Cliihuahua, 
San  Luis  Potosi,  and  Mexico  City.  They  also 
have  an  unusually  good  educational  work,  much 
of  it  under  the  care  of  the  Woman's  Board.  This 
very  important  and  successful  mission  has  al- 
ways appealed  to  the  Methodists  of  the  South, 
since  the  country  to  be  evangelized  lies  at  their 
very  doors,  and  since  the  fortunes  of  the  two 
great  republics  of  North  America  are  inex- 
tricably bound  up  with  each  other.  It  would 
be  a  pleasure  to  dwell  more  in  detail  upon  this 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  MEXICO  199 

and  the  other  missions  in  Mexico,  but  the  limits 
of  our  space  inexorably  forbid. 

Presbyterian  Missions 

Four  Presbyterian  Missionary  Boards  have  The  Presby- 
done  a  valuable  work  in  Mexico,  —  the  Presby-  gj^^l^g 
terians  North  and  South,  the  Associate  Re- 
formed and  the  Cumberland  Presbyterians. 
The  largest  work  is  that  done  by  the  Presby- 
terian Board  of  the  North.  The  Southern  Pres- 
byterians are  working  in  the  states  of  Tamaulipas 
and  Nueva  Leon,  with  girls'  boarding-schools 
in  Brownsville  and  Linares.  The  Associate 
Reformed  Board  is  in  three  states,  Vera  Cruz, 
Tamaulipas,  and  San  Luis  Potosi.  The  Cum- 
berland Presbyterians  are  in  Aguas  Calientes 
and  Guanajuato,  in  each  of  which  they  have  a 
girls'  boarding-school. 

The  Presbyterian  Board  of  the  North  began  Presby- 
work  in  1872,  when  four  missionaries  with  their  Mr^coCity 
wives  went  to  Mexico  City.  They  found  already 
a  number  of  independent  Protestant  congrega- 
tions, many  of  whom  soon  joined  themselves  to 
the  different  mission  boards.  One  of  these 
early  workers,  the  Rev.  Arcadio  Morales, 
noted  for  his  eloquence  and  his  evangelistic 
zeal,  is  still  a  leading  preacher  of  this  mission. 
The  work  was  organized  at  first  as  two  separate 
missions  in  northern  and  southern  Mexico.  It 
was  then  divided  into  three  presbyteries,  and  in 


200 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  LATIN  LANDS 


The  Synod 
of  Mexico. 


General 
■work  of 
the  mission. 


1901  the  Synod  of  Mexico  was  formed,  uniting 
all  the  work  of  the  two  boards,  the  Northern 
and  Southern  Presbyterian.  This  synod  is  not 
under  the  control  of  any  ecclesiastical  body  in 
the  United  States.  The  American  missionaries 
and  the  native  Mexican  pastors  are  on  equal 
footing  as  members  of  the  synod,  with  the 
one  aim  of  building  up  a  self-supporting  and 
self -extending  Presbyterian  Church  in  Mexico. 
They  have  their  own  Home  Mission  Board. 

This  board  has  a  large  and  prosperous  mission 
in  Mexico  City,  including  three  congregations, 
five  preaching  halls,  six  day-schools,  a  Girls* 
Normal  and  Boarding  School,  fourteen  Chris- 
tian Endeavor  Societies,  and  twelve  Sunday- 
schools.  This  is  only  a  sample  of  the  work  be- 
ing done  in  other  stations.  Not  only  is  a  large 
evangelistic  and  educational  work  done,  but 
much  literary  work  has  also  been  undertaken. 
A  paper  called  ^l  Faro  (The  Liglithouse)  has 
been  published  since  1885,  and  many  religious 
tracts  and  illustrated  Sunday-school  cards  and 
lesson  helps  are  published  by  the  Mission  Press. 
A  li3^mn  book  has  also  been  published,  which  has 
been  found  very  helpful  in  the  work. 

We  have  space  only  to  mention  the  important 
and  very  successful  work  in  San  Luis  Potosi, 
Zacatecas,  and  other  places.  It  must  suffice  to 
say  that  no  more  important,  substantial,  and 
fruitful  work  is  carried  on  in  any  land  than  that 
of  the  cultivated  and  devoted   missionaries  of 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  MEXICO  201 

this  faith,  whose  hearty  fellowship  with  those 
of  other  denominations  has  been  a  large  factor 
in  the  unity  and  spirit  of  brotherhood  which 
characterizes  all  the  missionary  work  in  the 
land  of  the  Aztecs. 

Protestant  Episcopal  Missions 

During   the    religious    reform   which    began  "Evangeii- 

under  the  administration  of  President  Juarez,  car'congr©- 

'    gations. 
many    "  evangelical "    congregations,    as    they 

were   called,  came  into  existence,  and,  though 

many  of  them  went  to  extremes,  yet  there  was 

found  among  them  a  little  company  of  earnest, 

enlightened  men  whom    President  Juarez  and 

others  encouraged  and  supported.      A  Mexican 

Missionary  Society  was  organized  in  the  United 

States,  which  maintained  an   American   priest 

in  Mexico,  and  the  famous  old  church  of  San 

Francisco  was  purchased  for  his  services. 

At   the   time   this  work  was  beginning,  the  Manuel 

Rev.    Manuel   Aguas    was   the    most   popular     ^"^' 

preacher    in    the    Cathedral    of    the    City    of 

Mexico.     He    was    a   Dominican   friar,    and   a 

violent  persecutor  of  this  new  heresy.     He  was 

therefore  appointed  to  read  the  pamphlet  called 

"  The  True  Liberty,"  and  to  answer  it  at  some 

public  meeting.     But,  having  read  it,  he  turned 

to  his  Bible,  and,  after  much  prayer  and  study, 

was  truly  converted,  and  began  to  preach  the 

faith  which  once  he  persecuted.     He  was  him- 


202 


TUB   GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 


self  persecuted,  forsaken  by  his  friends,  and 
excommunicated  by  the  Church,  but  he  would 
not  turn  back.  Under  his  guidance  "The 
Church  of  Jesus  "  was  reorganized,  and  he  was 
elected  the  first  bishop.  For  some  years  he 
labored  most  faithfully,  until  illness  overtook 
him,  and  at  the  age  of  fifty  he  died,  greatly 
beloved  and  honored  by  all. 

After  his  death,  the  Rev.  Henry  Riley,  a 
native  of  Chile,  was  appointed  bishop.  In 
1875  the  bishop  of  Delaware  visited  Mexico, 
and  being  much  impressed  with  the  work, 
ordained  seven  men,  first  deacons,  then  priests, 
for  the  "  Mexican  Branch  of  the  Catholic 
Church  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  Militant  upon 
Earth,"  and  a  covenant  was  made  with  the 
bishops  of  the  American  Church,  by  which  they 
agreed  to  consecrate  bishops  for  Mexico  under 
certain  conditions.  But  many  mistakes  were 
made  ;  the  covenant  conditions  were  not  com- 
plied with,  and  for  some  time  the  Church  did 
not  prosper. 

In  1904  the  Rev.  Henry  Aves  was  conse- 
crated as  bishop,  not  for  the  Mexicans,  but  for 
Americans  in  Mexico,  and  in  1906,  at  the 
request  of  the  Mexican  clerg}^,  their  churches 
were  also  received  under  his  jurisdiction  ;  since 
that  time  the  work  of  the  Mexican  churches 
has  been  a  part  of  the  regular  missionary  work 
of  this  board.  Up  to  this  time  the  work  had 
been  largely  supported  by  the  Woman's  Central 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  MEXICO  203 

Committee,  which  had  done  much  in  raising 
funds  for  its  support,  and  is  still  helping  in  the 
work. 

In  uniting  with  this  board,  these  Mexican  The  Church 
churches  gave  up  their  independence,  but  "they  jjation. 
still  think  of  themselves  as  the  Church  of  the 
Nation,  the  one  faithful  representative  of  pure 
Catholicity  in  the  land  of  Mexico,  and  it  con- 
tinues to  proclaim  itself  by  the  popular  title 
'  La  Iglesia  Catolica  Mexicana.'  The  clergy 
and  people  have  a  profound  conviction  of  the 
supremacy  of  sound  Church  principles.  They 
have  drawn  their  inspiration  from  a  direct 
study  of  primitive  Christianity,  yet  their 
churches  and  services  are  marked  by  a  sim- 
plicity which  is  almost  austere,  and  it  is  on 
that  basis  that  they  have  waged  their  fight." 

The  Colegio  Seminario   de    San   Andres,    of  Coiegio 
Mexico  City,  is  training  boys  and  young  men  de^San*"* 
for    Holy    Orders,  and   it   is   intended  also  to  Andres, 
broaden  and  enlarge  the  course  so  as  to  admit 
all   who   wish   to    obtain    an    education.      The 
Mary  Josephine  Hooker  School  and  Orphanage 
for    Girls   is   also    enlarging   the   horizon   and 
strengthening    the    Christian    lives    of    many 
Mexican  girls  under  its  care. 

Christian  Missions 

The    Christian   Woman's  Board  of  Missions 
began    work   in    Mexico   in    1895,   at   first   at 


204 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  LATIN  LANDS 


Work  of  the  Ciudacl  Juarez,  and  later  in  Monterey.  From 
missioirs°  ^^^®  beginning  there  has  been  preaching  in  Eng- 
lish and  in  Spanish.  At  the  very  beginning, 
too,  the  plan  included  school  work  as  a  prom- 
inent feature.  A  good  school  building  was 
erected  in  1904,  since  which  time  the  school 
has  been  steadily  advancing  in  numbers  and  in 
its  standard  of  scholarship.  It  includes  both  a 
Mexican  and  an  American  school,  the  former 
under  the  charge  of  Miss  Westrupp,  daughter 
of  Thomas  Westrupp,  the  pioneer  missionary 
whose  name  will  always  be  remembered  in 
Mexico,  and  the  latter  in  the  care  of  Miss 
Irelan.  There  is  also  a  good  preparatory 
school  at  San  Luisita,  a  suburb  of  Monterey. 

This  board  is  also  established  in  the  state  of 
Coahuila,  which  is  said  to  be  the  wealthiest  and 
best-governed  state  in  northern  Mexico.  The 
state  has  a  population  of  more  than  three 
hundred  thousand,  and  is  situated  in  a  moun- 
tainous country,  with  many  fertile  valleys. 
Saltillo,  its  capital,  has  a  normal  school,  a  civil 
college,  three  Protestant  schools  for  girls,  and 
four  Protestant  churches.  The  president  of 
the  normal  school  is  an  earnest  Protestant  and 
a  friend  of  missions.  Here  and  in  other  cities 
of  this  state  this  board  is  most  successful,  and 
its  future  is  promising. 


Christian 
missions  in 
Coahuila. 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  CENTRAL  AMEEICA      205 

The  Friends'  Mission 

The  Friends  have  been  at  work  in  Mexico 
for  more  than  twenty  years.  They  have 
stations  in  IVIatamoras,  Victoria,  and  Mate- 
huala,  where  day-schools,  Sunday-schools,  and 
evangelistic  services  are  maintained. 

To  summarize :  There  are  now  about  750  Summary, 
Protestant  congregations  in  Mexico,  with  300 
missionaries,  and  more  than  600  Mexican  help- 
ers. There  are  more  than  400  Sunday-schools, 
nearly  as  many  Young  People's  Societies,  and 
something  like  12,000  children  in  Protestant 
day-schools.  The  whole  Protestant  community 
has  been  estimated  at  more  than  80,000  out  of 
a  population  of  nearly  15,000,000.  The  influ- 
ence of  this  comparatively  small  number  of 
educated,  enlightened,  earnest  Christians  will 
certainly  be  felt  in  the  coming  years  in  Mexico, 
and  though  their  forces  are  as  yet  compara- 
tively small,  yet  we  must  remember  that  a 
constantly  increasing  number  of  boys  and  girls 
are  coming  up  to  join  their  ranks.  The  Young 
People's  Conventions  are  among  the  most  in- 
teresting and  stimulating  of  all  the  Protestant 
meetings  yearly  held  in  Mexico,  and,  on  the 
whole,  the  prospect  for  the  future  is  very  bright. 

2.   Central  America 

Central  America  has  been  called  "The  Land  "The Land 
Bridge"  between  North  and   South  America,    ^"^^e." 


field. 


206  THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 

Its  area  is  a  little  less  than  two  hundred  thou- 
sand square  miles,  and  it  consists  of  the  five 
republics  of  Guatemala,  Honduras,  Nicaragua, 
Salvador,  and  Costa  Rica,  and  the  British 
colony  of  Honduras,  which  lies  north  of  the 
republic  of  the  same  name.  • 
A  difficult  This   narrow  and   contorted  section  of    the 

earth's  surface  presents  interesting  features  of 
its  own,  but  at  the  same  time  forms  in  some 
respects  a  difficult  field  for  missionary  opera- 
tions, owing  to  the  ignorance,  superstition,  and 
slotlifulness  of  the  people,  who  often  seem  to 
be  reverting  toward  barbarism,  rather  tliau 
advancing  in  the  highways  of  civilization. 
However,  there  are  many  exceptions  to  this 
generalization,  which,  if  allowed  to  stand  by 
itself,  would  be  unfair,  and  there  are  indica- 
tions that  the  future  of  Central  America,  when 
it  shall  be  bound  more  closely  both  to  North 
and  South  America  by  the  opening  of  the  great 
canal,  will  be  brighter  than  its  past  has  been. 

"The  physical  features  of  this  area,"  says  a  recent 
writer,  "  make  it  an  epitome  of  all  other  countries  and 
climates  of  the  globe.  High  mountain  ranges,  isolated 
volcanic  peaks,  elevated  table-lands,  deep  valleys,  broad 
and  fertile  plains,  and  extensive  alluvions  are  here  found 
grouped  together,  relieved  by  large  and  beautiful  lakes 
and  majestic  rivers,  the  whole  teeming  with  animal  and 
vegetable  life,  and  possessing  every  variety  of  climate, 
from  torrid  heat  to  the  cool  and  bracing  temperature  of 
eternal  spring." 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  CENTRAL  AMERICA      207 

The  history  of  Central  America  need  not 
detain  us  long.  After  the  coming  of  white 
people  it  was,  like  all  of  South  America  and 
most  of  North  America,  a  Spanish  possession. 
The  little  republics  achieved  their  independence 
in  the  early  part  of  the  nineteenth  century,  at 
tlie  same  time,  and  moved  by  the  same  impulse 
that  led  the  South  American  countries  to  throw 
off  the  Spanish  yoke. 

The  six  countries  of  Central  America  are  General 
almost  as  closely  related  in  language,  customs,  ^^'^'^i^io^s. 
and  religion  as  the  different  states  of  our  own 
Union.  If  distributed  over  the  United  States, 
their  area  would  cover  a  district  as  large  as 
four  states  of  the  size  of  New  York,  Avhile  the 
number  of  people  in  all  would  be  far  less  than 
are  found  in  New  York  City  alone.  Pure- 
blooded  Indians  form  nearly  one-third  of  the 
poj^ulation,  while  it  is  thought  that  there  are 
not  more  than  thirty  thousand  pure  whites ; 
the  other  two  and  a  half  millions,  forming  the 
great  majority,  are  mestizos,  or  half-breeds,  the 
offspring  of  Europeans  and  Indians,  or,  in  some 
cases,  of  negroes  and  Indians.  About  thirty 
Indian  languages  are  spoken,  but  Spanish  is 
universally  understood  by  the  aborigines  as 
well  as  by  the  mixed  races. 

The  climate  of  Central  America  has  a  very  climate, 
bad  reputation,  which  it  scarcely  deserves,  for, 
while  many  sections  that  border  on  the  coast 
are  unheal thful  and  malarious  to  the  last  degree, 


208  TUE   GOSPEL   IN   LATIN  LANDS 

the  high  Lmds,  where  for  the  most  piirt  the 
people  live,  some  habitations  being  more  than 
ten  thousand  feet  above  the  sea,  afford  an 
admirable  climate,  wliich  can  hardly  be  sur- 
passed for  healthfulness  in  any  part  of  the 
world, 
social  Xhe  accounts  that  come  to  us  of  the  social  con- 

conditdons.  c     i        /-,  i     .  •  i 

dition  01  the  Central  American  people  are  not 
encouraging.  "  All  observers,"  we  are  told, 
"  are  in  accord  that  the  pure  Indians  are  steadily 
increasing,  and  that  the  half-breeds  are  con- 
stantly growing  nearer  to  the  Indian  type." 
This,  on  the  whole,  may  not  be  an  unmixed 
evil,  for  we  are  also  told  that  the  "  pure  Indians 
are  preferable  to  the  mestizos,  in  whom  are 
concentrated  the  vices  of  both  races,  revenge 
and  treachery  combined  with  laziness  and 
cowardice."  As  may  be  imagined,  education 
is  in  a  very  backward  state,  only  a  fraction  of 
the  children  being  enrolled  in  any  scliools, 
though  education  is  nominally  free.  Roman 
Catholicism  is  the  prevailing  and  predominant 
faith,  mixed,  however,  with  many  remnants  of 
ancient  heathenism. 

An  interesting  writer  quoted  by  Rev.  Harlan 
P.  Beach,  in  his  admirable  "Geography  of  Prot- 
estant Missions,"  tells  us  that 

Religion  of  "In   many  places   dolls  representing   the   gods  of  the 

tlxe  Indians,  forefathers  of  the  Indians  are  hidden  under  the  altars  of 
the  churches,  and  by  this  device  both  divinities  are  si- 
multaneously worshipped.    When  kneeling  before  St.  Mi- 


THE  GOSPEL   IN   CENTRAL  AMERICA      209 

chael,  they  light  two  tapers,  one  for  the  dragon,  the  other 
for  the  arcliaiigel.  An  old  heathen  deity  corresponds  to 
each  personage  of  the  Christian  religion,  the  sun  to 
God  the  Father,  the  moon  to  the  Madonna,  the  stars  to 
the  tutelar  saints." 

The  educated  and  ruling  classes  have  largely 
lost  faith  in  all  religion,  and  in  one  republic  the 
goddess  Minerva,  or  wisdom,  has  been  set  up 
as  the  patron  saint,  and  a  public  festival  insti- 
tuted in  her  honor.  Thus  it  will  be  seen  that, 
if  need  constitutes  a  call,  and  if  the  opportunity 
for  service  constitutes  an  obligation  upon  the 
Protestant  world,  Central  America  has  a  strong 
claim  on  all  true  Christians. 

The  missionary  societies  at  present  at  work  in   Missionary 

Central  America  include  four  from  the  United   societies  in 

Central 

States  :  The  Bible  Society,  the  Central  Ameri-  America, 
can  Mission,  the  Presbyterian,  the  Seventh 
Day  Adventist.  There  are  also  four  from 
Great  Britain :  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible 
Society,  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the 
Gospel,  the  Wesleyan  Methodist  Mission,  and 
the  United  Methodist  Free  Church.  In  addi- 
tion to  these  we  find  the  Moravian  INIission,  the 
Jamaica  Baptist  INIissionary  Societ}',  and  the 
Wesleyan  Methodist  Home  and  Foreign  Mis- 
sionary Society  of  the  West  Indies. 

It  is  interesting  to  consider  each  of  these 
little  republics  by  itself,  as  a  missionary  centre, 
spite  of  the  fact  that  they  have  so  much  in  com- 
mon. 


210  THE  GOSPEL  IN  LATIN   LANDS 

Guatemala 

Missions  in  Guatemala,  the  largest  and  most  populous 
Guatemala.  Qf  ^\-^q  Central  American  republics,  lies  to  the 
north,  bordering  on  the  republic  of  Mexico. 
It  contains  nearly  half  of  the  population  of 
Central  America,  and  its  capital,  Guatemala,  is 
the  finest  city  of  the  five  republics.  Since  1882 
this  difficult  post  has  been  held  by  devoted 
missionaries  of  the  Presbyterian  Board,  who 
have  organized  churches  for  Spanish-speaking 
and  English-speaking  people,  and  have  estab- 
lished schools  for  boys  and  girls.  They  have 
branched  out  into  the  region  around  the  capital, 
which,  from  the  beginning,  has  been  their  head- 
quarters. This  board  has  practically  had  this 
large  field  to  itself,  though  the  Central  American 
Mission  has  employed  an  evangelist  among  the 
Quichi  Indians,  and  the  American  Bible  Society 
has  done  a  good  work  in  the  distribution  of 
the  Scriptures. 

Honduras 

Missions  in  Honduras  is  the  next  republic  in  geographical 
Honduras,  order,  and  is  almost  exactly  the  size  of  the  state 
of  Mississippi,  with  something  over  half  a  million 
of  inhabitants.  Religiously,  Honduras  is  more 
backward  than  any  other  republic.  Little  Prot- 
estant work  is  yet  being  attempted  within  its 
borders.     This  republic,  however,  must  not  be 


THE  GOSPEL  IN   CENTRAL  AMERICA      211 

confused  in  our  minds  with  the  crown  colony 
of  British  Honduras,  sometimes  called  Belize 
from  the  name  of  its  capital.  Though  this  British 
colony  occupies  but  a  small  spot  on  the  map  of  °°  ^^  ' 
the  Americas,  it  is  yet  larger  than  the  princi- 
pality of  Wales,  while  its  inhabitants,  some 
thirty-five  or  forty  thousand  in  number,  would 
only  equal  the  number  of  people  in  any  one  of 
half  a  dozen  of  the  suburbs  of  New  York  or 
Boston.  Yet  in  this  field  the  Wesleyan  Mis- 
sionary Society,  the  Society  for  the  Propagation 
of  the  Gospel,  and  the  Jamaica  Baptist  Mis- 
sionary Society  have  workers.  Two  thousand 
people  are  gathered  in  thirty-five  organizations, 
while  twelve  missionaries  are  doing  valiant  ser- 
vice. These  facts  and  figures  show  that  British 
Honduras  is  the  most  thoroughly  evangelized 
of  any  portion  of  Central  America. 

Wiearagua 

This  republic  has  figured  more  largely  in  our  Missions  io 
newspapers  than  any  other  in  Central  America,  i^aragua. 
because  of  the  advocates  of  the  Nicaraguan 
Canal,  who  have  believed  that  the  great  lake 
near  the  western  border  of  the  country,  the 
largest  between  Lake  Michigan  and  Lake  Titi- 
caca,  might  be  utilized  as  part  of  the  waterway 
between  the  Atlantic  and  the  Pacific.  Though 
this  will  never  be  realized,  yet  its  geographical 
position  will  make  Nicaragua  always  an  impor- 


212  THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 

tant  state  of  the  Central  American  sisterhood. 
Very  little  can  be  said  for  the  social  or  educa- 
tional standards  of  the  people,  which  are  at  a 
Mosquito  low  ebb.  A  bright  spot,  however,  in  Nicaragua, 
Reservatiou.  ^g  ^j^g  Mosquito  Reservation  on  the  Atlantic 
coast.  In  spite  of  its  unhappy  name,  derived, 
however,  not  from  the  pestiferous  insect,  but 
from  the  tribe  of  Indians  who  inhabit  it,  mis- 
sionary work  has  long  been  carried  on  by  the 
dauntless  Moravians,  who  here  occupy  fourteen 
stations,  and  have  practically  evangelized  the 
great  majority  of  the  people.  Until  1860  the 
Mosquito  Reservation  had  been  under  the  pro- 
tectorate of  Great  Britain,  but  was  then  ceded 
to  Nicaragua,  of  which  it  is  now  a  component 
part. 

Salvador 

Missions  in  This  is  by  far  the  smallest  of  the  Central 
a  va  01.  American  states,  but  is  in  some  respects  one  of 
the  most  advanced.  Education  is  free  and  obli- 
gatory, while  railway,  telegraph,  and  telephone 
lines  are  being  built,  and  the  resources  of  the 
country  developed.  This  little  republic  lies  on 
the  Pacific  coast,  which  it  borders  for  a  hundred 
and  sixty  miles.  It  has  been  shaken  by  more 
earthquakes,  perhaps,  than  any  country  of  simi- 
lar size  in  the  world,  and  we  are  told  that  the 
capital,  San  Salvador,  has  been  overthrown  and 
rebuilt  on  the  same  site  no  less  than  seven  times 


THE  GOSPEL   IN   CENTRAL  AMERICA      213 

durinor  the  last  three  centuries.  But  little  mis- 
sionary  work  appears  to  be  done  as  yet  in  this 
republic,  though  the  American  Bible  Society  is 
credited  with  effective  effort,  as  in  the  otlier 
re[)ublics. 

Costa  Rica 

The  last  of  these  little  states  to  be  mentioned  Missions  in 
is  Costa  Rica,  the  smallest  of  the  five  republics 
with  the  exception  of  Salvador.  Its  name  means 
the  "  Rich  Coast,"  and  it  deserves  its  name  in 
these  modern  days,  though  it  was  said  to  have 
been  given  originally  in  derision.  Its  mines  are 
of  importance,  and  the  recent  development  of 
the  banana  trade  has  greatly  increased  its  wealth. 
Not  a  little  missionary  work  is  being  carried  on 
in  this  republic,  not  only  by  the  Central  Ameri- 
can Missionary  Society,  but  by  the  Baptists 
and  Wesleyans  of  the  West  Indies.  The  Ja- 
maica Baptist  Missionary  Society  has  been  par- 
ticularly aggressive,  and  one  of  its  later  forms 
of  work  is  the  development  of  the  Christian 
Endeavor  Societies,  and  the  formation  of  a  vig- 
orous local  union,  with  which  are  affiliated  more 
than  half  a  score  of  these  organizations. 

We  may  well  close  this  brief  account  by  a 
quotation  from  Senor  Castells  : 

"  In  Central  America  there  are  found  at  least  one  hun-  The  call  to 
dred  towns,  with  a  population  of  from  eight  thousand  to  niissicnary 
a  hundred  thousand  souls,  still  to  be  occupied,  as  indeed 


214 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 


work  in 
Central 
America. 


there  are  a  thousand  and  more  villages  where  the  Gospel 
has  never  been  proclaimed,  and  this,  too,  next  door  to  a 
British  colony,  and  only  three  days'  sailing  from  New 
Orleans.  .  .  .  One  can  easily  find  countries  in  other 
directions  that  have  as  large  and  even  larger  populations 
quite  as  needy  and  perhaps  more  neglected,  but  we  do  not 
find  anywhere  a  field  at  once  so  easily  reached,  and  so 
freely  open  to  missionaries,  so  fruitful,  and  so  inviting 
as  Central  America." 


3.    The   West  Indies 


The  islands.  The  West  Indies  are  of  peculiar  interest  to 
Christians  of  the  United  States  because  of  their 
contiguity  to  our  own  shores.  Especially  since 
the  Spanish  War  has  this  interest  been  quick- 
ened by  the  ownership  of  Porto  Rico  and  the 
protectorate  of  Cuba.  While  there  are  a  mul- 
titude of  small  islands,  Cuba,  Hayti,  Jamaica, 
Porto  Rico,  and  Trinidad  are  the  largest,  in  the 
order  named.  The  Windward  and  Leeward 
Islands  constitute  a  long,  bow-shaped  group 
lying  to  the  east  and  south,  the  Windward 
Islands  lying  nearer  the  coast  of  Venezuela, 
while  the  Bahamas  lie  north  of  Cuba  and  come 
close  to  the  coast  of  Florida. 

For  centuries  these  islands  have  been  the 
battle-ground  of  the  European  powers,  and  have 
been  divided  between  the  English,  Spanish, 
French,  Dutch,  and  Danish,  the  English  and  tlie 
Spanish  being  by  far  the  predominant  powers 
until  a  decade  ago,  when  Spain  lost  the  last  rem- 


Sovereignty 
of  the 
islands. 


TUE  GOSPEL   IN    THE   WEST  INDIES      215 

nant  of  her  possessions  in  the  New  World.  For 
nearly  half  a  century  the  island  of  Iluyti  luis 
been  independent  of  Euroj^e,  and  is  now  divided 
into  two  republics,  Santo  Domingo  occupying 
the  eastern  half,  and  the  rejjublic  of  liayti  the 
western  half  of  the  island.  Dr.  Bliss  has  so  well 
summarized  the  general  story  of  all  these  islands 
in  his  "Encyclopaedia  of  Missions  "  that  we  can- 
not do  better  than  to  quote  some  paragraphs 
from  his  invaluable  work  : 

"  In  the  years  just  subsequent  to  their  discovery,  evil   Conditions 
of  the  most  pronounced  character  was  the  business  of  the    "^         early 
men  who  invaded  tliese  shores,  and  all  that  selfish  greed 
and  fiendish  cruelty  could  suggest  was  done  to  extermi- 
nate the  mild  aborigines.    Hardly  a  trace  of  them  is  now 
to  be  found. 

"  Then  the  islands  became  the  battle-fields  of  the  rival  Slavery, 
powers  of  Europe.  Piracy  was  rife,  and  the  commerce  of 
Europe  suffered  from  the  marauding  buccaneers,  who 
smarted  from  the  wrongs  they  suffered  and  retaliated  on 
the  innocent  as  well  as  the  guilty.  The  slave-trade  had 
its  origin  here,  and  the  hardly  less  cruel  importation  of 
coolies  has  left  its  curse  on  the  lands.  The  occupation 
of  the  West  Indies  has  afforded  the  material  for  a  black 
chapter  in  the  history  of  the  conquests  of  European  na- 
tions. Harmless  savages  were  put  to  death  in  the  name 
of  Christ.  Into  this  moral  sewer  was  swept  the  refuse  of 
Europe.  Hundreds  of  Hindoos  and  Chinese  were  lured 
to  this  region  of  faithless  promises.  The  African  was 
dragged  here  to  die  of  pestilence. 

"  Patient  and  heroic  hands  early  planted  the  Gospel  in    Early 
this  miry  soil.     From  the  earliest  times,  when  Christians    Qiission- 
saw  the  image  of  God  in  the  sable  body  to  the  present 
dav,  the   conflict  between  the  forces  of   good  and  the 


216  THE   GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 

powers  of  evil  has  been  fierce  and  bitter.  Prejudices  of 
the  white  and  superstitious  of  the  black  races  united 
to  render  the  work  excessively  difficult.  The  faithful 
preacher  of  Christ  was  never  free  from  all  the  persecu- 
tions that  malignity  and  hatred  could  devise,  or  ignorance 
and  superstition  suggest.  Even  his  own  race  insulted, 
beat,  and  imprisoned  the  missionary,  and  the  people  he 
came  to  succor  betrayed  him  into  the  hands  of  his  ene- 
mies." 

Jamaica.  An   exception    to    this   dark    picture    is   the 

island  of  Jamaica,  which,  since  it  came  under 
British  rule,  has  been  thoroughly  Christianized, 
and  has  sent  out  many  missionaries  to  establish 
evangelical  churches  in  other  islands  aud  on  the 
mainland. 

The  same  is  true  in  a  large  measure  of  the 
other  British  possessions  in  the  West  Indies, 
which  we  may  dismiss  from  the  list  of  foreign 
mission  lands  which  need  the  Gospel.  These 
are  the  Bahamas,  Barbadoes,  Windward  and 
Leeward  Islands,  and  Trinidad. 

Hayti.  The  only  island  that  shows  signs  of  reverting 

to  barbarism  is  Hayti.  The  western  part  of 
this  island  was  annexed  by  France  in  1697. 
Something  over  a  century  later  the  slaves  re- 
volted, and  after  much  bloodshed  proclaimed 
their  independence,  which  has  since  been  main- 
tained. The  eastern  or  Spanish  part  of  the 
island  has  been  through  many  wars  and  various 
vicissitudes,  but  finally  adopted  the  republican 
form  of  government.  The  Wesley  an  Mission- 
ary Society  was  the  pioneer  Protestant  Mission 


THE   GOSPEL   IN   THE    WEST  INDIES      217 

in  Hayti,  entering  the  field  nearly  a  century 
ago.  A  little  later  many  negroes  emigrated 
fi-om  the  United  States  and  carried  with  them 
the  religion  in  which  they  had  been  educated, 
and  the  Methodist  and  Baptist  Churches  estab- 
lished by  them  still  survive.  In  1861  colored 
Episcopalians  from  the  United  States  induced 
the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  to  take  up  the 
work,  and  now  an  Episcopal  bisliop  superin- 
tends several  regular  congregations,  and  the 
theological  school  for  the  training  of  native 
workers. 

Cuba  and  Porto  Rico  remain  to  be  considered,  Cuba, 
but  since  these  are  scarcely  foreign  missionary 
countries  in  the  strict  sense  of  the  term,  we  can 
only  speak  of  them  very  briefly.  Cuba,  "  The 
Pearl  of  the  Antilles,"  was  discovered  by  Co- 
lumbus, during  his  first  voyage  in  October,  1492. 
He  named  it  Juana  in  honor  of  Prince  John, 
son  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella.  After  Ferdi- 
nand died,  the  island  was  named  Fernandina  ;• 
still  later  it  was  called  Santiago  in  honor  of 
St.  James,  the  patron  saint  of  Spain,  and  then 
Ave  Maria.  The  native  name  of  Cuba  finally 
prevailed,  however. 

The  island  is  seven  hundred  miles  in  length,   History 
with  a  coast-line  of  over  two  thousand  miles,  °*^"^^- 
and   possesses  the  astonishing  number  of  two 
hundred  seaports.     It   is   larger  than  Ireland, 
and  agriculturally  is  a  most  important  island. 
Havana  is  the  capital  and  chief  city,  and  boasts 


218  THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 

a  population  of  over  a  quarter  of  a  million. 
From  the  time  of  Columbus  almost  to  the  very 
end  of  the  nineteenth  century  Cuba  was  a 
province  of  Spain,  and  the  brightest  jewel  in 
her  colonial  diadem.  But  owing  to  gross  mis- 
rule and  oppression,  tlie  restive  people  tried 
again  and  again  to  throw  off  the  Spanish  yoke. 
At  last  conditions  became  so  "intolerable,"  as 
President  McKinley  declared,  that  the  sym- 
pathies of  the  United  States  were  enlisted,  and 
after  a  brief  war,  in  which  the  advantage,  both 
on  land  and  sea,  was  always  overwhelmingly  on 
the  side  of  the  United  States,  the  Spaniards 
were  driven  out  and  Cuba  became  an  inde- 
pendent republic,  under  the  protection  of  her 
deliverer.  Since  then,  owing  to  internal  dissen- 
sions, the  United  States  again  inaugurated  a 
provisional  government  for  the  restoration  of 
order,  but  lias  now  once  more  placed  the  power 
in  the  hands  of  the  native  Cubans.  The 
•churches  of  America  have  realized  their  op- 
portunity and  responsibility  since  the  Spanish 
evacuation,  and  all  the  leading  denominational 
boards  are  at  work  in  this  fruitful  field. 
Mission  To  the  Southern  Baptists  belongs  the  honor 

of  inaugurating  this  work  before  the  indepen- 
dence of  Cuba  was  realized,  and  Dr.  Alberto  J. 
Diaz,  a  converted  Romanist,  labored  most  faith- 
fully and  successfully,  preparing  the  way  for 
the  larger  fruitage  of  recent  years.  Within 
the   last   decade,  not   only   the   Nortliern  and 


work  in 
Cuba. 


THE  GOSPEL  IN   THE   WEST  INDIES      219 

Southern  Baptists,  but  the  Methodists,  Presby- 
terians, Episcopalians,  Congregation alists,  Dis- 
ciples of  Christ,  Friends,  and  other  denomina- 
tions, a  list  of  which  will  be  found  elsewhere, 
have  established  churches  and  are  working  to- 
gether harmoniously.  The  Cubans  have  shown 
great  eagerness  to  receive  the  truths  of  the  pure 
Gospel,  and  in  many  places  the  churches  and 
chapels  are  filled  to  overflowing  with  eager 
seekers  for  the  truth. 

The  conditions  in  Porto  Rico  are  very  much  Porto  Rico, 
the  same  as  in  Cuba.  The  island  was  discovered 
by  Columbus  on  his  second  voyage  in  1493. 
The  same  scenes  of  bloodshed  and  rapine  were 
enacted  as  in  the  other  islands  during  the  early 
days  of  the  Spanish  occupation,  when  Ponce  de 
Leon  Avas  the  governor.  The  natives  were 
practically  exterminated,  African  slaves  were 
very  soon  introduced,  and  slavery  was  not  abol- 
ished until  1873.  Porto  Rico  remained  under 
Spanish  domination  until  taken  by  the  American 
troops  in  1898.  The  island  is  a  most  fertile  one, 
and  rich  in  all  tropical  products.  It  is  about 
three-fourths  the  size  of  Connecticut,  and  is 
destined  to  be  an  important  territory  of  the 
United  States,  since  it  has  nearly  a  million  in- 
habitants, more  than  half  of  whom  are  wdiite 
people.  Education  and  the  Protestant  religion 
have  followed  the  Stars  and  Stripes  to  Porto 
Rico,  and  our  leading  denominations  have  es- 
tablished schools  and  churches,  which  are  doing 


220  THE   GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 

their  share  in  civilizing  and  Christianizing  this 
beautiful  island. 

MISSIONARY  DIRECTORY   FOR   MEXICO,   CEN- 
TRAL  AMERICA,   THE   WEST   INDIES 

Baptist   Missions.     (North  and  South.) 

Mexico  City,  Aguas  Calientes,  San  Luis  Potosi,  Nuevo 
Laredo,  Puebla,  with  some  work  carried  on  in  Laiii- 
l^azos,  Sabinas,  Hidalgo,  Montemorelos,  ¥A  Porvenir, 
Santa  Rosa,  Linares;  also  in  Monterey,  Guadalupe 
Guadalajara,  Saltillo,  Zacatecas. 

Cuba,  Porto  Rico,  Isle  of  Pines. 

Congregational  Missions. 

Chihuahua,  Guadalajara,  Parral,  Hermosillo. 
Cuba,  Porto  Rico. 

Methodist  Missions  (North  and  South). 

Mexico  City,  Puebla,  Pachuca,  Guanajuato,  Miraflores, 
San  Vincente,  Ayapango,  Apizaco,  Orizaba.  Tezon- 
tepes,  Panotla,  Tetela,  San  Luis  Potosi,  Saltillo. 
The  West  Indies. 

Piiesbyterian  Missions. 

Mexico  City,  Zacatecas,  San  Luis  Potosi,  Saltillo,  Zita. 

cuaro,  Chilpancingo,  Jalapa. 
Guatemala  City  and  San  Augustin,  Quezaltenango,  and 

Petalhulen. 
The  West  Indies. 

Protestant  Episcopal  Missions. 

Services  are  maintained  at  seventy  different  places, 
the  most  important  of  ■which  are  Mexico  City, 
Toluca,  Cuernavaca,  Xochitenco,  Alpuyeca,  Durango. 
Torreon,  (Juadalajara,  Chapantongo,  Encinillas,  San 
Francisquito,  Monterey,  N.L.,  Rincon  Antonio,  Sa- 
lina  Cruz,  Guanajuato,  Nopala,  Jojutla,  Chapulaco, 


THE  GOSPEL   IN    THE    WEST  INDIES      221 

Huraiui,  Oaxaca,  Puebla,  Pueb.,  Advent,  Jalapa, 
Teloloapan,  Sail  Bartolo,  Chihualma,  Uo-Rancho, 
Ciudad  Poifirio  Diaz,  Aguascalientes,  Panchimalco, 
Ensenada,  Cerro  Gordo,  San  Luis  Potosi,  Ameca- 
meca,  Tecalco,  Ayapango,  Maravillas. 
Cuba,  Porto  Rico,  Hayti,  San  Domingo. 

Christian  Missions. 

Sabinas,  Las  Esperanzas,  Ciudad  Porfirio  Diaz,  Saltillo, 

Monterey. 

Thf;  Friends'  Mission. 

Victoria,  Tamaulipas,    San    Luis    Potosi,   Matamoras, 

Mateliuala. 
The  West  Indies. 

Wesleyan  Missions  (English). 

Bahamas,  Jamaica,  Turk\s  Island,  Hayti,  San  Domingo, 
Leeward  Islands,  Barbadoes,  Trinidad,  British  Hon- 
duras, Costa  Rica. 

Central  American  Mission. 

Guatemala,  Costa  Rica. 
Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel. 

Honduras. 
Jamaica  Baptist  Missionary  Society. 

Honduras,  Costa  Rica. 

Moravians. 

British  Honduras. 
American  Bible  Society. 

Costa  Rica,  Nicaragua,  Salvador,  Honduras,  Guatemala. 

Cuba,  Porto  Rico. 

Throncliont  all  ^lexico. 


222  THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 

TOPICS   FOR  FURTHER   STUDY 
For  Individuals  and  for  Women's  Clubs 

The  Toltecs  and  Aztecs  in  Mexico. 

Mexican  Heroes.     (Hidalgo,  Juarez,  etc.) 

The  Mexican  Catholic  Church  of  To-day. 

Life  in  Central  America. 

Life  in  Porto  Rico. 

Our  Relations  with  Mexico  and  Central  America. 

For  Nkigiiborhood  Reading  Circles 

"Latin  America."     Rev.  Hubert  W.  Brown.     1900. 
"A  New  Era  in  Old  Mexico." 

"  To-day  in  the  Land  of  To-morrow."     By  Jasper  T. 
Moses.     1907. 

"  Conquest  of  Mexico."     W.  H.  Prescott. 

"Mexico  in  Transition."     Dr.  William  Butler.     1892. 

"  Story  of  Mexico."     Susan  Hale. 

"In  and  Out  of  Central  America."     Frank  Vincent. 

"Guatemala."     W.  T.  Brigham. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

"  Aztec  Land."     M.  M.  Ballon. 
"Life  in  Mexico."     Madame  Calderon. 
"  Sketches  of  Mexico."     J.  W.  Butler. 
"Cruising  in  the  Caribbean  with  a  Camera."     A.  P. 
Stokes. 

"  Story  of  Mexico."     Susan  Hale. 

"The  Awakening  of  a  Nation."     C.  F.  Lummis. 

"In  and  Out  of  Central  America."     Frank  Vincent. 

ILLUSTRATIVE   SELECTIONS 
Dreamy,  Sunny  Mexico 
In  dreamy,  sunny  ]\Iexico, 
The  sleepy  fountains  flash  and  flow 


THE  GOSPEL  IN   THE   WEST  INDIES     223 

In  lazy  cadence  like  a  dream; 
AVhile,  like  a  rising  star  a-gleam, 
The  snowy  peaks  of  mountains  rise 
Beneath  the  glowing  Southern  skies. 
A  happy  land  of  lotus  dreams, 
Where  reigns  enchantment,  as  it  seems, 
Where  wondrous  blossoms  catch  the  eye, 
And  gaudy  birds  through  thickets  fly; 
A  land  of  lutes  and  dulcet  tones, 
Of  silver,  gold,  and  onyx  stones, 
The  Aztec  land  of  long  ago. 
The  place  of  Maximilian's  woe, 
This  dreamy,  sunny  Mexico. 
From  a  Home  Mission  Programme  prepared   by  the 
Baptist  Woman's  Home  MissioJiari/  Society. 

Columbus 
Joaquin  Miller 

Behind  him  lay  the  gray  Azores, 

Behind  the  Gatefj  of  Hercules; 
Before  him  not  the  ghost  of  shores, 

Before  him  only  shoreless  seas. 
The  good  mate  said :  "  Now,  we  must  pray. 

For  lo  !  the  very  stars  are  gone. 
Speak,  Admiral,  what  shall  I  say?" 

"  Why  say,  '  Sail  on  !  sail  on  !  and  on ! '  " 

"  My  men  grow  mutinous  day  by  day ; 

j\Iy  men  grow  ghastly  wan  and  weak." 
The  stout  mate  thought  of  home ;  a  spray 

Of  salt  wave  washed  his  swarthy  cheek. 
"  What  shall  I  say,  brave  Admiral,  say, 

If  we  sight  naught  but  seas  at  dawn?" 
"Why,  you  shall  say  at  break  of  day, 

'  Sail  on  !  sail  on  !  sail  on  I  and  on  ! '  " 


224  THE  GOSPEL   IN   LATIN  LANDS 

They  sailed  and  sailed,  as  winds  might  blow, 

Until  at  last  the  blanched  mate  said : 
•'  AV^hy,  now  not  even  God  would  know 

Should  I  and  all  my  men  fall  dead. 
These  very  winds  forget  their  way, 

For  God  from  these  dread  seas  is  gone. 
Now  speak,  brave  Admiral,  speak  and  say  —  " 

He  said,  "  Sail  on  !  sail  on!  and  on  !  " 

They  sailed.     They  sailed.     Then  spoke  the  mate ; 

"This  mad  sea  shows  its  teeth  to-night. 
He  curls  his  lip,  he  lies  in  wait. 

With  lifted  teeth,  as  if  to  bite ! 
Hrave  Admiral,  say  but  one  good  word. 

What  shall  we  do  when  hope  is  gone?" 
The  words  leapt  as  a  leaping  sword, 

"  Sail  on  !  sail  on  !  sail  on  !  and  on  !  " 

Then,  pale  and  worn,  he  kept  his  deck. 

And  peered  through  darkness.     Ah,  that  night 
Of  all  dark  nights  I     And  then  a  speck  — 

A  light !     A  light !     A  light !     A  light ! 
It  grew,  a  starlit  flag  unfurled ! 

It  grew  to  be  Time's  burst  of  dawn. 
He  gained  a  world ;  he  gave  that  world 

Its  grandest  lesson,  "  On  and  on  !  " 


THE    ROMAN  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  IN  MEXICO 

Roman  Catholics  admit  the  failure  of  their  Church  in 
Mexico.  A  well-known  foreigner  who  has  been  several 
years  in  this  country  as  a  special  missioner  from  Rome, 
told  the  writer  not  long  since  that  he  was  astonished  to 
find  how  idolatrous  and  superstitious  his  own  Church  was 
in  Mexico,  and  he  then  startled  us  with  the  following 
confession  :  "  The  Mexicans  are  not  Christians  ;  to  them 


TEE   GOSPEL   IN    THE    WEST  INDIES      225 

the  "Virgin  of  Guadalupe  comes  first,  Hidalgo  second, 
and  Jesus  Christ  third." 

]\Iadame  Calderon  de  la  Barca,  herself  a  devout  llomau 
Catholic,  has  written  as  follows  :  "  The  poor  Indian  bows 
before  visible  representations  of  saints  and  virgins  as  he 
did  in  former  days  before  the  monstrous  shapes  repre- 
senting the  unseen  powers  of  the  air,  the  earth,  and  the 
water;  but  he,  it  is  to  be  feared,  lifts  his  thoughts  no 
higher  than  the  rude  image  which  a  human  hand  has 
carved.  He  kneels  before  the  image  of  the  Saviour  who 
died  for  him,  before  the  gracious  form  of  the  Virgin  who 
intercedes  for  him  ;  but  he  believes  there  are  many  vir- 
gins of  various  gifts,  possessing  various  degrees  of  miracu- 
lous power  and  different  degrees  of  wealth,  according  to 
the  quality  and  number  of  the  diamonds  and  pearls  with 
which  they  are  endowed  —  one  even  who  is  the  rival  of 
the  other." 

AVe  could  furnish  more  evidence  from  the  same  source, 
but  surely  this  is  enough  to  prove  that  thoughtful  and 
devout  Catholics  themselves  believe  that  there  is  here  an 
open  door  for  the  entrance  of  better  things.  —  Abridged 
from  the  leaflet  on  Mexico  by  Rev.  J.  W.  Buller,  D.D. 


IMPORTANT   DATES   IN   SOUTH   AMERICA 

1498.     Columbus  first  saw  the  mainland  of  America. 

1500.  Cabral  explored  the  coast  of  Brazil ;  discovered 
the  Amazon. 

1508.     Vincent  Pinzon  entered  the  Rio  de  la  Plata. 

1520.  Magellan  passed  the  southern  point  of  the  con- 
tinent. 

1528-15i3.    The  Parana  and  Paraguay  rivers  discovered. 

1531-1532.     Conquest  of  Peru  by  Pizarro. 

1535.  Buenos  Ayres  founded.     Lima  founded. 

1536.  Asuncion  foimded. 
1540-1541.     The  Amazon  explored. 

1541.     Chile  conquered ;  Santiago  founded. 

At  the  end  of  the  sixteenth  century  all  South  America 
except  Brazil  was  nominally  under  Spanish  rule. 

1635.     A  French  colony  established  in  Guiana. 

1807.     The  Portuguese  court,  driven  from  Lisbon,  took 

refuge  in  Brazil. 
1810.     Revolution  in  Venezuela. 
1810-1813.     Independence  of  Argentina  established. 
1818.     Independence  of  Chile. 

1821.  Venezuela    and   Colombia   declared   independent 

rejiublics. 

1822.  Indei^endence   of   Ecuador.      Brazil   declared   an 

empire  with  Doin  Pedro  as  emperor. 
1822.     Freedom  for  Peru. 
1824.     Bolivia  declared  independent. 
1889.     Brazil  declared  a  republic. 


226 


CHAPTER   V 


THK   GOSPEL   IN   SOUTH   AMERICA 


No  foreign  land  should  be  of  more  interest  to 
North  Americans  than  the  twin  continent  that 
lies  to  the  south  of  us.  To  the  ordinary  mission- 
ary motives  which  lead  our  Protestant  Churches 
to  seek  the  evangelization  of  the  world  and  to 
obey  our  Lord's  last  command  is  added  the  fact 
that,  next  to  Mexico  and  Central  America,  South 
America  is  our  nearest  neighbor  which  can  be  Our  nearest 
considered  in  any  sense  a  missionary  land.  It  "'^'S^^^o'^- 
is  a  source  of  constant  wonder  and  surprise  to 
any  one  who  has  visited  South  America  that  so 
little  interest  comparatively  has  been  shown  in 
that  continent,  either  commercially  or  politically 
or  religiously,  by  the  people  of  the  United  States. 
The  means  of  communication  between  the  two 
Americas  is  still  slow  and  tedious,  and  those  who 
go  from  one  continent  to  the  other  usually  cross 
the  Atlantic  twice  and  visit  Europe  in  the  mean- 
time. 

Of  late,  however,  signs  of  awakened  interest  Cause  of 
are  numerous.     The  steady,  faithful  work  of  our  [ut^^est 
missionaries  for  nearly  half  a  century,  the  awak-  in  South 

i;  1     i     1.1  .  •    1    •  America. 

ening  oi  our  people  to  the  vast  commercial  im- 

227 


228  THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 

portance  of  the  southern  continent,  the  epoch- 
making  visits  of  Secretary  Root  and  of  our  great 
fleet  of  battleships  have  of  late  turned  the  eyes 
of  North  Americans  toward  their  southern 
neighbors,  and  promises  larger  things  for  the 
future. 

Few  people,  however,  in  North  America  un- 
derstand as  yet  the  geographical  extent,  the 
boundless  resources,  and  the  vast  opportunities, 
material  and  spiritual,  to  be  found  in  South 
America.  As  a  rule  our  people  know  more  of 
China  and  Central  Africa  than  of  this  near 
neighbor  of  theirs. 
Compara-  North  America  and  South  America  are  practi- 

tive  size  cally  of  the  same  size  geographically,  for  while 
continents.  North  America  contains  something  over  seven 
million  square  miles  and  South  America  two 
hundred  thousand  less,  there  are  no  such  in- 
hospitable, snow-clad  wastes  in  the  southern 
continent  as  we  find  in  the  northern. 

Bishop  Neely,  in  his  little  book  on  "  South 
America  a  Mission  Field,"  has  brought  out  the 
•  comparative  size  of  the  South  American  coun- 

tries in  a  striking  way  when  he  tells  us  that 
Peru  is  nearly  equal  in  area  to  all  of  the  United 
States  lying  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  Ar- 
gentina is  nearly  as  large  as  twenty-nine  Penn- 
sylvanias,  or  twenty  times  the  area  of  New 
England.  Brazil  is  larger  than  the  entire  United 
States,  leaving  out  Alaska.  Chile  is  as  long  as 
the  distance  from  Portland,  Me.,  to  San  Fran- 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  SOUTH   AMERICA        229 

CISCO,  and  even  the  young  republic  of  Panama, 
the  smallest  of  all  the  sisterhood,  is  about  as 
larsfe  as  two  Switzerlands. 

Moreover,  South  America  is  not  only  a  land  its 
of  magnificent  distances,  but  a  country  of  mag-  proponions. 
nificent  proportions  in  every  respect.  The 
highest  mountains,  the  mightiest  rivers,  and  the 
vastest  prairies  of  the  western  continents  are 
found  here,  while  the  mines  of  gold,  silver, 
copper,  and  tin,  all  agricultural  products  of  the 
temperate  and  tropical  climes  alike,  and  the 
unlimited  pasturage  for  cattle  and  sheep  that 
might  feed  the  world,  place  South  America,  in 
the  point  of  material  resources,  in  the  front  rank 
of  all  the  continents. 

Another  peculiar  reason  for  the  special  in-  The.  United 
terest  of  North  American  Christians  in  South  ^^''^^*^  ^ 

South 

American  missions  is  that  the  United  States  is  American 
already  a  South  American  power.  By  the  pur-  P"^^^'"- 
chase  from  the  P^rench  Company  of  all  its  rights 
in  the  Canal  Zone,  and  from  the  republic  of 
Panama  of  a  strip  of  territory  five  miles  wide 
on  each  side  of  the  canal,  with  unlimited  powers 
of  jurisdiction  over  this  territory,  the  United 
States  has  become  the  owner  of  a  small  but 
vastly  important  section  of  South  American 
soil ;  and  when  the  canal  is  completed,  as  it 
doubtless  will  be  witliin  a  very  few  years,  the 
relations  between  the  northern  and  southern 
continents  will  be  far  more  intimate  than  at 
present,  and  the  importance  of  South  America 


230 


TUE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 


to  the  business,  social,  and  religious  life  of  North 
America  will  be  correspondingly  increased. 

Neither  continent  can  reach  its  full  develop- 
ment without  the  other.  North  America  needs 
the  coffee  and  the  rubber,  the  cattle  and  the 
precious  woods  of  South  America,  and  she  should 
give  in  return,  not  only  her  manufactured  prod- 
ucts, but  the  better  gifts  which  she  has  to  offer, 
of  a  spiritual  faith,  a  free  Bible,  and  an  education 
that  is  based  upon  it,  and  is  not  hampered  by 
the  swaddling  bands  of  priestcraft. 

More  and  more  in  the  future  years  it  will  be 
seen  that  North  and  South  America  complement 
and  supplement  each  other.  They  are  but  two 
halves  of  one  great  continent.  If  one  member 
suffers,  the  other  member  will  suffer  with  it. 
What  is  done  for  the  regeneration  of  one  part 
blesses  the  whole.  In  a  sense  South  America 
presents  to  every  North  American  Christian 
both  the  home  missionary  and  the  foreign 
missionary  motive.  As  he  enters  this  great 
field  his  motto  might  well  be,  "  All  America  for 
Christ." 

South  America  is  preeminently  the  Continent 
of  the  Twentieth  Century.  It  is  interesting  to 
almost  every  class  of  men.  As  the  author 
wrote,  after  a  long  journey  to  eight  of  the 
eleven  republics  of  South  America  : 

"  To  the  student  of  liistory  it  presents  a  fascinating' 
field  which  has  allured  some  of  our  greatest  historians. 
To  the  archaeologist  the  ruins  of  Cuzco  and  Quito  and  a 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  SOUTH  AMERICA        231 

score  of  other  places  are  of  supreme  interest.  To  the  stu- 
dent of  political  science  the  history  of  the  brutal  Spanish 
invasion  and  the  brutal  Spanish  rule,  as  well  as  the  in- 
numerable failures  and  more  recent  successes  of  the  mod- 
ern republics,  are  constant  warnings  of  '  how  not  to  do  it.' 
The  naturalist  will  find  in  South  America  birds  and 
beasts,  fishes  and  reptiles,  shrubs  and  trees  which  grow 
in  no  other  part  of  the  world.  The  entomologist  will 
not  lack  for  bugs  the  most  beautiful  and  the  most  noxious 
that  crawl  or  fly.  The  geologist  will  find  the  country 
rich  in  minerals  of  every  description. 

"The  devout  man  will  find  among  the  people  profess- 
ing the  religion  of  the  ancient  as  well  as  the  modern 
South  American,  a  feeling  after  God  if  haply  they  may  find 
Him,  and  amid  all  the  superstition  and  ignorance  of  an- 
cient and  modern  faiths  he  recognizes  the  fact  that  man 
is  '  incurably  religious,'  and  rejoices  in  the  clearer  light 
of  a  rational  biblical  faith  that  is  beginning  to  shine  at 
many  points  in  the  great  south  laud."  ^ 

It  is  interesting   to   notice    in    passing  how  East  and 
much  farther  east  the  southern  half  of  America    .  ^^*. 

America. 

lies  than  the  northern.  The  two  might  with 
almost  as  much  propriety  be  called  East  and 
West  America  as  North  and  South  America. 
Payta,  the  most  western  town  in  South  Amer- 
ica, is  in  about  the  same  longitude  as  Cleveland, 
while  Valparaiso  and  almost  the  whole  of  Chile 
and  the  Patagonian  coast  are  nearly  on  the 
same  longitudinal  line  as  New  York.  Indeed, 
there  is  a  difference  of  but  three  or  four  minutes 
in  time  between  Valparaiso  and  New  York  City. 
On  the  other  side  Brazil  juts  far  out  into  the 

1  From  "  The  Continent  of  Opportunity." 


232  THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 

Atlantic  Ocean  toward  Africa,  and  there  the 
Atlantic  is  only  about  half  as  wide  from  shore  to 
shore  as  in  the  north. 

The  history  of  South  America  is  full  of  thrill- 
ing and  momentous  events,  momentous  at  least 
to  South  Americans,  and  in  some  respects  to  all 
the  rest  of  the  world,  for  the  discovery  and  ex- 
ploitation of  South  America  left  a  profound  im- 
press upon  the  great  nations  of  Europe,  and,  by 
increasing  their  wealth,  stimulating  their  love 
of  adventure,  arousing  their  cupidity  as  well  as 
their  missionary  zeal,  produced  untold  effects 
both  for  good  and  evil  upon  the  world. 
The  early  Tlie  romantic  story  of  the  earliest  historic  na- 

civilizatiou.     ,.  i-    c>       ^i      a  •  ,   ^         ^•        ■         ^   • 

tions  ot  South  America  must  be  dismissed  in  a 
few  paragraphs,  though  it  is  interesting  beyond 
the  annals  of  the  aborigines  of  any  other  land. 
While  Nortli  America  was  inhabited  by  wander- 
ing tribes  of  savage  red  men  who  were  destitute 
of  cities,  roads,  temples,  and  the  ordinary  con- 
comitants of  civilized  life.  South  America,  at 
least  on  its  western  coast,  was  occupied  by  na- 
tions whose  civilization,  in  some  respects,  could 
be  compared  with  the  most  advanced  nations  of 
Europe.  Spanish  travellers  at  the  time  of  the 
conquest  of  Peru  have  declared  that  there  were 
no  temples  in  all  Europe  like  the  temples  of 
Quito  and  Cuzco,  and  it  is  doubtful  if  any  Eu- 
ropean monarch  lived  in  such  regal  affluence  as 
Atahuallpa  and  his  immediate  predecessors. 
Splendid  highways  equal  to    the    best   Roman 


THE   GOSPEL   IN  SOUTH  AMERICA        288 

roads  connected  the  great  cities,  while  the 
streams  were  spanned  by  splendid  bridges. 

The  city  of  Cuzco,  to  give  a  single  instance   The 
of  the  grandeur  of  the  architecture  of  the  Incas,   ^['^^^g^'^*^"''® 
was  defended  by  a  great  fortress  on  a  rugged  incas. 
eminence  to  the  north  of  the  city,  as  well  situ- 
ated and  as  strongly  defended  as  the  Castle  of 
Edinburgh.   The  fortress  and  galleries  were  bailt 
of  solid  blocks  of  stone,  "  so  nicely  adjusted  that, 
though  no  cement  was  used,  it  was  impossible  to 
introduce  even  the  blade  of  a  knife  between  them." 
These    stones    were    measured    by    an    ancient 
Spanish  writer,  who  declares  that  some  of  them 
were    fully  thirty-eight   feet  long  by  eighteen 
broad,  and  six  feet  thick. 

"  We  are  filled  with  astonishment,"  says  Prescott, 
"  when  we  consider  that  these  enormous  masses  were 
hewn  from  their  native  bed  and  fashioned  into  shape  by 
a  people  ignorant  of  the  use  of  iron ;  that  they  were 
brought  from  quarries  from  four  to  fifteen  leagues  dis- 
tant, without  the  aid  of  beasts  of  burden  ;  were  trans- 
ported across  rivers  and  ravines,  were  raised  to  their  ele- 
vated position  on  the  Sierra,  and  finally  adjusted  there 
with  the  nicest  accuracy,  without  the  knowledge  of  tools 
and  machinery  familiar  to  Europeans." 

Not     only    were   these    immense    structures  Their 
reared  for  the  defence  of  the  capital,  but  the   voluptuous 

,  ,  luxury. 

emperors  lived  in  more  magnificence  than  any 
Eastern  potentate.  We  read  about  their  baths 
"  replenished  by  streams  of  cr3^stal  water  con- 
ducted through  silver  channels  into  basins  of 
gold,"  their  spacious  gardens  "  glowing  with  the 


234 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  LATIN  LANDS 


Despotism 
tempered 
with 
socialism. 


The  cruel 
domination 
of  the 
Spaniard. 


various  forms  of  vegetable  life  skilfully  imi- 
tated in  gold  and  silver,"  and  other  indications 
of  voluptuous  luxury  that  almost  stagger  belief. 

The  common  people,  alas,  shai-ed  in  none  of 
these  luxuries,  and  possessed  but  few  comforts. 
They  were  carriers  of  water  and  hewers  of 
wood,  governed  and  cared  for  by  the  most 
paternal  government  in  the  world.  The  State 
looked  after  the  people  with  a  jealous  eye  from 
the  day  they  were  born  until  the  day  they  died. 
It  prescribed  where  they  should  live,  what  they 
should  wear,  what  they  should  eat,  whom  they 
should  marry.  The  State  owned  all  the  land, 
and,  as  they  had  no  currency  and  few  exchange- 
able commodities,  the  people  paid  for  every- 
thing with  their  time.  It  was  socialism  tempered 
with  despotism,  or  despotism  tempered  with 
socialism,  but  withal  a  most  benevolent  despot- 
ism, wliich  looked  after  every  man,  woman,  and 
child  in  all  Incadom  as  a  kind  farmer  would 
look  after  his  fat  cattle  and  liogs  and  choice 
poultry,  and,  it  must  be  confessed,  from  much 
the  same  motive. 

This  description  applies  especially  to  the  peo- 
]3le  of  the  west  coast  of  South  America,  the 
Chibchas  of  Colombia,  and  the  Incas  of  Bolivia 
and  Peru,  for  so  far  as  history  is  concerned,  the 
savage,  uncivilized  natives  of  the  east  coast  of 
South  America  were  a  negligible  quantity. 
Such  were  the  people  whom  the  conquerors 
found  in  possession  when,  with  their  devastating 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  SOUTH  AMERICA        235 

armies,  they  supplanted  the  benevolent  rule  of 
the  Incas  with  the  cruel  domination  of  the 
Spaniard,  and,  in  the  course  of  a  few  decades, 
so  decimated  these  fair  lands  that,  after  fifty 
years,  the  population  had  been  reduced  from 
forty  millions  to  eight  millions.  After  two  cen- 
turies of  Spanish  rule,  nine-tenths  of  the  popu- 
lation had  perished  in  the  awful  wars,  or  the  no 
less  awful  cruelties  of  the  mines,  which,  for  the 
benefit  of  Spain,  must  yearlj'"  yield  their  tons  of 
silver  and  gold,  though  the  price  paid  for  them 
was  the  extinction  of  a  great  and  civilized 
nation. 

One  of  the  most  exciting  episodes  in  all  his-  Conquest 
tory,  ancient  or  modern,  is  the  story  of  the 
conquest  of  Peru  by  the  little  band  of  blood- 
thirsty Spanish  adventurers  under  the  greatest 
freebooters  of  all  time,  Pizarro  and  his  brothers. 
Yet  with  all  the  bloodthirstiness,  cupidit}^  and 
rascality  of  the  Spanish  conquerors,  a  religious 
motive  was  mixed,  and  doubtless  the  conquer- 
ors deluded  themselves,  as  did  Paul  when  he 
persecuted  the  Christians,  with  the  belief  that 
they  were  verily  doing  God  service  in  forcibly 
converting  the  natives  of  South  America  to 
Christianity. 

Atahuallpa,  the  great  emperor  of  the  Incas,  Capture  of 
had   received    Pizarro    and    his    cohorts    with  atahuallpa. 
unbounded   hospitality.     The    Spaniards,  with 
their   terrible    weapons   that   belched  fire    and 
«moke    and    deadly   bullets,    had    tlie    natives 


236  THE  GOSPEL    IN  LATIN  LANDS 

completely  iit  their  mercy.  Then  the  friar, 
Valverde,  with  a  cross  in  one  hand  and  a  liible 
in  the  other,  demanded  that  Atahuallpa  should 
declare  himself  a  subject  of  the  king  of  Spain, 
and  receive  baptism.  When  the  mighty  em- 
peror of  Peru  threw  down  the  book  with  indig- 
nant scorn,  the  friar  cried  out,  "  Fall  on, 
Castilians  !  I  absolve  you."  An  awful  fight 
ensued,  but  the  murderous  fire  of  the  mail-clad 
horsemen  was  too  mucli  for  the  Indians,  who 
could  fight  only  with  their  naked  hands,  and 
soon  the  king  was  a  prisoner,  and  the  heaps  of 
dead  bodies  declared  the  awful  might  of  Span- 
ish musketry  and  cannon. 
A  splendid  Then  for  his  freedom  the  Inca  king  offered  a 
mighty  ransom  that  few  monarchs  could  ever 
have  proposed.  He  was  confined  in  a  room 
eleven  feet  long  by  twenty  wide.  "  I  will  fill 
this  room  with  gold  as  high  as  I  can  reach,  if 
only  you  will  liberate  me,"'  was  his  piteous 
plea.  Pizarro,  who  was  a  tall  man,  drew  a 
red  line  nine  feet  from  the  floor,  and  held  his 
captive  to  the  contract.  From  every  quarter 
gold  poured  into  the  city  of  Cuzco  to  ransom 
the  emperor.  Golden  plates  were  torn  from 
the  beautiful  temple,  cups  and  vases  and  shields 
of  massive  gold  were  thrown  into  the  great 
room,  until  it  was  filled  to  a  point  as  high  as 
Pizarro  could  reach.  The  treasure  was  valued 
at  $22,000,000  in  those  daj^s,  equivalent  in  their 
buying  power  to  over  $100,000,000  to-day.    Now 


ransom. 


THE  GOSPEL  IN   SOUTU  AMERICA        237 

came  one  of.  the  crowning  acts  of  perfidy  in  all  The  crown- 
history.  The  rapacious  Pizarro  accepted  the  ^^^j.^^1  ^ 
ransom,  and  at  the  same  time  put  his  captive  to 
death  after  a  mock  trial  on  a  trumped-up  charge 
of  treason  to  Spain.  As  the  writer  a  few  months 
ago  viewed  the  withered  skeleton  of  Pizarro  in 
a  glass  sarcophagus  in  the  Cathedral  of  Lima,  he 
felt  tliat poetic  justice  had  been  meted  out  to  this 
most  notorious  of  the  world's  freebooters,  when 
he  remembered  that,  like  the  great  Inca  emperor 
whom  he  had  slain,  he,  too,  had  been  treacher- 
ously killed  by  those  whom  he  supposed  were 
his  friends. 

The  story  of  South  America  for  three  hun- 
dred years  after  the  Spanish  Conquest  is  one  of 
misrule  and  oppression,  of  futile  uprisings,  of 
brief  and  bloody  contests,  of  a  dwindling  nation 
of  serfs,  of  conquerors  ever  more  rapacious  and 
bloodthirsty.  "  How  long,  O  Lord,  how  long  !  " 
must  have  been  the  wail  that  went  up  from 
multitudes  of  the  oppressed  in  those  terrible 
three  hundred  years  of  oppression. 

At  last  the  cry  for  deliverance  was  heard.  The  day  of 
The  successful  issue  of  our  own  revolution  dehveranca. 
commanded  the  attention  of  the  world.  The 
spirit  of  freedom,  and  rebellion  against  the 
tyrant  Avas  awakened  in  France  and  Spain, 
and  soon  extended  to  the  Spanish  colonies  of 
the  New  World.  Napoleon  not  only  changed 
the  face  of  Europe,  but  the  face  of  South  Amer- 
ica as  well,  though  indirectly  and  unconsciously. 


238 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  LATIN  LANDS 


The  check- 
ered career 
of  the  new 
republics. 


when,  in  the  early  part  of  the  nineteenth  cen- 
tury, he  conquered  Spain  and  set  his  brother 
Joseph  upon  the  Spanish  throne  for  a  brief 
and  inglorious  reign.  The  last  tie  of  senti- 
mental loyalty  that  bound  the  colonies  to  the 
mother-country  was  then  easily  snapped.  One 
after  another,  under  the  leadership  of  such  gen- 
erals as  Bolivar,  San  Martin,  and  Sucre,  after 
many  reverses,  and  apparently  hopeless  strug- 
gles, the  freedom  of  nine  republics  was  achieved, 
and  Colombia,  then  called  New  Granada,  Equa- 
dor,  Peru,  Bolivia,  Chile,  Argentina,  Venezuela, 
Uruguay,  and  Paraguay  took  their  modest  places 
in  the  family  of  nations. 

Since  the  Revolution,  which  lasted  from  1810 
to  1825,  the  career  of  most  of  these  republics 
has  been  a  checkered  one,  and  they  have  brought 
but  little  glory  to  the  republican  idea  of  govern- 
ment. In  many  of  them  revolution  has  fol- 
lowed revolution  at  very  brief  intervals,  and 
despots  have  often  occupied  the  presidential 
chair,  only  to  be  turned  out  of  office  or  to  be 
assassinated  by  other  despots.  Still  the  trend 
has  always  been  in  the  right  direction,  and  in 
ever}'  case,  with  the  possible  exception  of  Vene- 
zuela and  Colombia,  the  governments  are  grow- 
ing more  stable,  more  enlightened,  and  more 
truly  republican  in  character. 

When  we  contrast  North  America  with  South 
America,  the  difference  is  indeed  noteworthy, 
but  it  cannot  be  accounted  for  by  the  difference 


THE  GOSPEL  IN   SOUTH  AMERICA       239 

of  natural  resources  or  opportunities  for  prog-  Reasons 
ress  along  the  lines  of  education  and  civiliza-  difference 
tion.     The  difference  is  largely  found  in  the  between 
character  of  the  men  and  the  character  of  the  south 
religions  which  have  dominated  the  two  coun-  America, 
tries.     South  America  never  had  a  Mayfloiver ; 
it  knows  no  Plymouth  Rock;  its  Pilgrim  Fathers 
were   bloodthirsty  adventurers  with    a  veneer 
of  Christianity,  and  a  religious  motive  for  con- 
quest which  was  doubtless  sufficient  to  soothe 
their  guilty  consciences.     In  later  times  South 
America  has  never  had  a  George  Washington 
or  an  Abraham  Lincoln,  though  she  has   had 
some  patriots   like    Bolivar,  whose    patriotism 
was  singularly  mixed  with  selfish  and  vaulting 
ambitions. 

Above  all,  South  America  has  been  cursed 
with  a  religion  which  binds  the  intellect  and 
the  soul  with  chains  of  priestly  authority,  and 
which  makes  neither  for  the  development  of  the 
mind  or  the  spiritual  power  of  its  devotees.  In 
the  character  of  the  earlier  and  later  settlers  of 
South  America,  and  in  the  religion  which  they 
brought  to  her  shores,  as  contrasted  with  the 
early  settlers  of  North  America  and  their  re- 
ligion, can  be  found  the  reason  for  the  striking 
differences  in  progress,  mental,  material,  and 
moral,  of  the  two  great  divisions  of  America. 

These  considerations  lead  us  to  understand 
why  South  America  is  a  legitimate  mission 
field  for  Protestants.     It  is  not  the  purpose  of 


240 


TUB  GOSPEL  IN  LATIN  LANDS 


A  legiti- 
mate mis- 
sion Held 
for  Piotes- 
tauts. 


The 

character 
of  many  of 
the  priests. 


the  writers  of  this  book  to  exaggerate  the  evils 
of  Catholicism,  or  to  deny  that  there  are  multi- 
tudes of  earnest  Christians  even  in  the  most 
benighted  Catholic  lands.  But  the  ignorance, 
superstition,  and  immorality  of  countries  like 
South  America,  where  for  hundreds  of  years 
Catholicism  has  had  full  sway,  are  too  patent 
to  be  dwelt  upon  at  length.  We  need  only 
quote  from  Catholic  authorities  themselves  to 
show  how  far,  in  these  lands,  the  Church  has 
departed  from  the  principles  and  practice  of  its 
divine  Founder.  In  his  encyclical  letter  of  1897 
to  the  Roman  Catholic  clergy  of  Chile,  Pope 
Leo  XIII.  himself  declared,  "•  In  every  diocese 
ecclesiastics  break  all  bounds  and  deliver  them- 
selves up  to  manifold  forms  of  sensuality,  and 
no  voice  is  lifted  up  imperiously  to  summon 
pastors  to  their  duties.  "  The  bishop  of  Cocha- 
bamba  in  Bolivia,  once  wrote  about  his  own 
priests,  "  They  have  no  idea  of  God  nor  of  the 
religion  of  which  they  are  the  professed  minis- 
ters; they  are  always  the  same  brutal,  drunken 
traducers  of  innocence,  without  religion  and 
without  conscience ;  better  would  the  people 
be  without  them.  " 

Such  quotations  from  authoritative  Catholic 
sources  might  be  multiplied.  The  immorality 
of  the  priests  is  taken  for  granted,  and  excites 
no  surprise.  Priests'  children,  though  celibacy 
is  the  rule  as  in  other  Catholic  countries,  abound 
everywhere,  and  the  superstition  which  mingles 


THE  GOSPEL  IN   SOUTH  AMERICA        241 

heathen  rites  and  symbols  with  Christian  forms 
is  found  in  every  Church. 

In  one  of  the  largest  and  most  cultivated  A  curious 
cities  of  South  America  the  writer  was  given  a  ^^'^  ' 
tract  which  purported  to  be  an  actual  letter  of 
Jesus  Christ,  about  the  droj)s  of  blood  that  He 
shed  on  His  w^ay  to  Calvary,  recounting  the  ex- 
act number  of  drops,  28,430,  which  he  shed. 
Over  the  gateway  of  many  a  cemetery  indul- 
gences are  promised  to  those  who  will  say  an 
Ave  Maria  for  the  souls  of  the  dead,  however 
rascally  the  departed  may  have  been  in  their 
lifetime,  with  the  assurance  that  these  prayers 
will  rescue  even  the  greatest  sinners  from  Pur- 
gatory. Surely  the  need  of  South  America  calls 
loudly  to  the  Protestants  of  North  America. 

But  the  corruption  of  the  dominant  Church  infidelity 
of  South  America  is  not  the  only  reason  for  the 
introduction  of  Protestant  missionaries.  As  in 
most  Catholic  countries,  many  of  the  people 
have  thrown  off  the  ancient  faith,  and  are  in 
danger  of  drifting  into  absolute  infidelity  and 
atheism.  In  fact,  multitudes  of  men  in  South 
America  have  already  reached  that  goal,  and 
millions  of  children  are  growing  up  with  the 
example  in  the  home  of  fathers  who  have  prac- 
tically repudiated  their  allegiance  to  the  Church. 
While  the  women  are  still  for  the  most  part  de- 
vout Catholics,  in  many  parts  of  South  America 
but  few  men  darken  the  church  doors.  It  is 
not  uncommon  to  see  in  some  sections  twenty, 


and 
atheism. 


242 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 


A  work 
among  non- 
church- 
goers. 


or  even  fifty,  women  to  one  man  among  the 
worshippers  in  the  great  cathedrals,  wliile  in 
Protestant  churches  the  proportion  of  the  sexes 
is  often  reversed. 

Entirely  irrespective,  then,  of  the  evils  of 
Catholicism,  and  without  attempting  to  prose- 
lyte from  the  ancient  Church,  there  would  still 
be  a  large  field  among  the  non-church-goers 
and  the  irreligious  for  a  great  Protestant  work 
in  South  America.  When  it  is  remembered 
that  the  Catholic  Church  is  continually  losing 
its  hold,  and  that,  with  the  advance  of  freedom 
and  of  education,  the  raediseval  doctrines  and 
practices  of  the  Church  of  Rome  will  become 
more  and  more  repellent  to  the  people,  the  im- 
portance of  occupying  the  ground  with  a  purer 
faith,  while  it  is  yet  possible  to  win  people  to 
the  knowledge  of  Christ  as  he  is  revealed  in 
His  Word,  is  seen  to  be  a  paramount  duty. 
Even  the  most  loyal  devotee  of  the  Church  of 
Rome  cannot  object  to  Protestant  missions  in 
Catholic  territory,  when  he  remembers  that 
there  is  no  such  proselytizing  Church  in  all  the 
world  as  the  Roman  Catholic  Church.  There 
is  no  nook  nor  corner  of  Protestant  lands  which 
is  not  considered  a  legitimate  field  for  the  ex- 
tension of  the  power  of  the  Pope. 

All  that  Protestantism  asks  is  a  fair  field  and 
no  favor  or  governmental  interference  or  patron- 
age. It  is  willing  that  the  truths  which  it 
preaches  and  the  lives  of  the  missionaries  whom 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  SOUTH  AMERICA       243 

it  sends  out,  and  the  converts  that  they  make, 
should  speak  for  themselves. 

Let  us  remember  that  no  country  is  so  well  The  respon- 
fitted  to  send  the  Gospel  to  South  America  as  JJiJunUed 
the  United  States.     In  most  of  the  South  Amer-  states. 
ican  countries  the  United  States   is   honored; 
in  all  of  them  she  is  respected;  in  some  of  them 
she  is  beloved  as  a  friend  and  as  a  necessary 
ally.       Coveting  no   foot    of    South   American     , 
territory,  but  desiring  the  best   good  of   both 
Americas,  North  America  should    send  to  the 
southland  the  best  education,  the  best  morality, 
the  best  religion  which  she  herself   possesses; 
for,  by  thus  giving  freely,  she  will  be  enriched, 
and   the   ideals   of   both   halves   of    the   great 
American  continent  will  be  ennobled. 

The  West  Coast 

South  America  naturally  divides  itself  into  Two 
two  great  sections,  the  east  coast  and  the  west  gg^ti"„g^ 
coast  sections,  which  are  distinct  in  their  ap- 
pearance and  products,  and  in  their  relations  to 
the  rest  of  the  world,  and  which  are  largely  cut 
off  from  one  another  by  difficulties  of  communi- 
cation. In  order  to  get  from  one  side  of  South 
America  to  the  other,  instead  of  being  able  to 
cross  at  six  or  eight  different  points  by  rail 
in  different  degrees  of  latitude,  as  in  North 
America,  there  is  but  one  rail  route  across  the 
southern  continent,  and  that  far  to  the  south. 


244 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 


Differences 
between 
east  and 
west 
coasts. 


where  it  is  narrowed  to  some  eight  hundred 
miles  in  width.  Even  that  is  not  yet  completely 
spanned  by  the  railroad,  but  the  gap  over  the 
Andes  must  still  be  traversed  by  coaches. 

When  the  Panama  Canal  is  finished,  facilities 
of  communication  between  the  two  coasts  will 
be  much  improved,  but  even  then,  and  probably 
for  many  years  to  come,  it  will  be  a  long  and 
difficult  journey  to  go  from  Brazil  to  Bolivia  or 
Peru. 

In  other  respects,  the  two  sides  of  South 
America  are  almost  as  different  as  two  separate 
continents.  The  west  coast  is  sterile,  mountain- 
ous, and  rainless  for  thousands  of  miles,  the 
barren,  forbidding  peaks  of  the  Andes  coming 
close  to  the  shore,  and  the  rich  agricultural  re- 
gions lying  back  on  the  high  plateau.  The  east 
coast  is  comparatively  low,  clad  in  abundant 
verdure,  and  abounds  in  good  harbors,  which 
are  almost  unknown  on  the  western  side  of  the 
continent.  The  west  coast  embraces  the  repub- 
lics of  Ecuador,  Peru,  Bolivia,  and  Chile,  the 
Inca  states  of  old,  and  in  the  account  of  missions 
to  which  this  chapter  is  devoted,  we  shall  also 
consider  Panama  and  Colombia,  which  front  on 
both  oceans,  leaving  missionary  operations  in 
Argentina,  Uruguay,  Paraguay,  Brazil,  Vene- 
zuela, and  the  Guianas  for  another  chapter. 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  SOUTH  AMERICA       245 

Panama 

Let  us  begin  with  Panama,  the  most  northern 
country  of  South  America.  We  find  here  a 
little  republic,  the  latest  born  among  the  nations 
of  the  world,  but  one  of  peculiar  interest  to  the 
Christians  of  the  United  States.  It  has  been 
Avell  said  that 

"  Since  the  days  of  Greece's  glory,  no  such  small  strip    Panama  of 
of  soil  as  the  Isthmus  of  Panama  has  rained  equal  dis-    peculiar 

lIlt6r6St 

tinction.  It  has  been  the  scene  of  stirring  adventures 
and  the  site  of  the  wealthiest  city  in  the  world.  It  has 
been  the  subject  of  epoch-making  diplomacy,  and  the 
sphere  of  political  disturbance  ;  it  is  the  seat  of  the  great- 
est engineei'ing  enterprise  in  history,  an  enterprise  which 
is  destined  largely  to  revolutionize  the  commerce  of  the 
world,  and,  more  than  any  modern  factor,  to  influence  the 
fortunes  of  the  nation."  ^ 

Until  1903  Panama  was  a  part  of  the  republic  Panama  and 
of  Colombia,  but  a  very  turbulent  and  rebel- 
lious part,  lying  so  far  away  from  the  seat  of 
government  that  it  knew  little  and  cared  less 
about  what  was  going  on  in  Bogota.  Frequent 
revolts  occurred,  in  some  of  which  there  was 
awful  bloodshed,  as  in  the  rebellion  of  1899, 
which  lasted  for  three  years,  and  in  which  thirty 
thousand  men,  out  of  the  sparse  population, 
were  slain.  Scarcely  was  this  rebellion  quelled 
by  Colombian  troops,  when  a  hitch  occurred  in 
the  negotiations  between  the  United  States  and 
the  Colombian  government,  when  the  corrupt 
1  From  Dawson's  "  South  American  Republics." 


Colombia. 


dence  of 
Panama. 


246  THE  GOSPEL  IN  LATIN  LANDS 

officials  at  Bogota  held  out  for  more  than  the 
ten  million  dollars  offered  for  the  canal  rights, 
and  threatened  to  hinder,  if  not  to  prevent,  the 
actual  building  of  the  canal  through  Panama. 
This  was  more  than  the  people  of  this  prov- 
ince could  peaceably  stand,  for  the  completion 
of  the  canal  meant  prosperity,  and  its  diversion 
to  some  other  route  perpetual  insignificance. 
Then  the  people  seized  their  golden  opportunity, 
and  declared  their  independence.  The  new 
indepen-  republic  was  proclaimed  November  3, 1903.  Ten 
days  later  it  was  recognized  by  the  United  States, 
and  in  fifteen  days  by  France,  and  thus  Colom- 
bia was  prevented  from  renewing  the  bloody 
wars  which  had  so  decimated  the  isthmus  in  the 
past.  This  made  it  possible  for  the  United 
States  to  treat  with  Panama  for  the  canal,  and, 
according  to  the  treaty  of  1903,  "  the  republic 
of  Panama  grants  to  the  United  States  in  per- 
petuity the  use,  occupation,  and  control  of  the 
land,  and  land  under  water,  for  the  construc- 
tion, maintenance,  operation,  sanitation,  and 
protection  of  said  canal,  of  a  width  of  ten  miles, 
extending  for  a  distance  of  five  miles  on  each 
side  of  the  centre  line  of  the  route  of  the  canal 
to  be  constructed  ...  to  the  entire  exclusion  of 
the  exercise  by  the  republic  of  Panama  of  any 
such  sovereign  rights,  power,  and  authority." 

From  that  day  to  this,  missionary  work  in 
the  republic  of  Panama  has  been  of  especial 
interest,  to  North  Americans,  and  the  Southern 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  SOUTH  AMERICA        247 

Baptists,    Methodists,    Presbyterians,    and    the 
Church  of  England  are  now  in  the  field. 

The    Southern  Baptist    Convention  has  taken  The 
over  the  mission  of  the  Jamaica  Baptist  Mis-  ^^^^^^^^ 
sionary    Society,    and    is   doing    an    important  the  isthmus, 
work    in    Gorgona,     Culebra,    Empire,     while 
Colon    and   Panama,    as    the    largest    cities   of 
the  isthmus,  will  be  the  centres  of  this  mission 
in    the   future  years.     Rev.   S.  M.    Loveredge 
has   long   done    a   most  valuable  work  among 
the  Jamaican   negroes  in  Panama.     He   stuck 
manfully    to   his  post  during  the  bloody  civil 
wars  which  preceded  the  proclamation  of  the 
new    republic,    and,    being    between    the   two 
armies,    his   house   was    riddled    with    bullets, 
though  he  escaped  unscathed. 

The  most  recent  report  of  the  Southern 
Baptist  Convention  well  expresses  the  impor- 
tance of  missionary  operations  in  Panama  when 
it  says :  "  People  from  all  lands  are  there  at 
work  ;  from  India,  from  Argentina,  from  British 
Columbia,  from  Siberia,  as  well  as  from  the 
neighboring  islands  of  the  sea.  It  is  claimed 
that  more  than  fifty  different  languages  are 
spoken  just  now  in  the  Canal  Zone.  What 
a  mighty  opportunity  for  Christian  work ! 
Messages  of  salvation  could  be  sent  to  the  four 
quarters  of  the  earth,  from  the  converts  won 
to  Christ  among  these  multitudes." 

The    Methodist    Episcopal    Church    of   the  Methodist 
United  States  has  also  begun  a  hopeful  work  in  missions. 


248 


TUE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 


Presby- 
terian 
missions. 


The  South 
American 
Missionary 
Society. 


the  city  of  Panama,  where  they  have  a  church 
and  a  commodious  school  building.  The  school 
is  for  upper-class  whites,  and  a  Spanish  work 
is  also  conducted  in  Panama.  This  mission 
publishes  a  small  religious  periodical  called 
M  Menmjero  Cristiano.  Their  latest  report 
ends  with  tliis  encouraging  outlook:  "The  door 
is  open  in  Panama  city  for  a  great  work,  and 
all  that  will  hinder  us  is  the  lack  of  men  and 
women.  We  have  fine  headquarters  for  our 
work.  We  are  the  only  ones  that  are  doing 
any  missionary  work  for  the  Panamanians,  and 
we  ought  to  do  our  best." 

The  Presbyterians  have  also  begun  work 
in  the  Canal  Zone,  and  have  secured  for  their 
church  a  commanding  site  in  the  city  of  Colon, 
on  the  edge  of  the  American  settlement  of 
Cristobal.  Services  are  held  for  the  American 
residents,  and  for  the  Spanish-speaking  people. 

For  some  years  the  South  American  Mis- 
sionary Society,  supported  by  the  Anglican 
churches,  has  had  a  flourishing  mission  in 
Colon,  with  a  handsome  stone  church  erected 
by  the  Panama  Railway  Company.  The  com- 
pany also  gave  to  the  mission  seven  goods  sheds 
of  wood  and  iron,  in  whicli  to  hold  services 
on  different  parts  of  the  railway  line  which 
extends  from  Colon  to  Panama,  a  distance  of 
forty-five  miles.  In  the  time  of  the  French 
occupation  of  the  Canal  Zone,  it  is  estimated 
that   from    fifteen    to    twenty  thousand    work- 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  SOUTH  AMERICA       249 

men  were  employed  on  the  canal  banks  at 
one  time,  five  thousand  of  whom  were  British 
subjects.  When  the  work  collapsed  under 
the  French,  more  than  eight  thousand  people 
were  thrown  out  of  employment,  but  to-day 
a  far  larger  number  than  ever  before  is  em- 
ployed, many  thousands  of  them  being  British 
subjects  from  Jamaica  and  the  other  islands  of 
the  West  Indies,  so  that  the  two  churches  of 
this  society  in  Colon  and  Panama  have  a  large 
and  growing  work  upon  the  isthmus. 

We  should  not  fail  to  make  mention  of  the  The 
sfood  work  done  by  the  Young  JNlen's  Christian   .  '.,  '    '    ' 
Association  in  the  Canal  Zone,  a  work  receiv-  Canal  Zone, 
ing   the   support   of   the    federal    government, 
which  recognizes  its  responsibility  for  the  moral, 
if  not  the  spiritual,  condition  of  the  multitudes 
of   young  Americans   who    are   living   in   this 
region.     For  this  reason  the   government   has  What  the 
built  four  beautiful  and  commodious  buildings  f  ^1"^^^"^^ 
at    commanding    points   on   the    isthmus,    has   the  young 
equipped    them    liberally    with     reading    and  ™^°' 
amusement  rooms,  baths,  and  gymnasiums,  and 
put  them  under  the  care  of  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association,  with  full  permission  to 
hold   religious   services    and    Bible    classes,  as 
they  deem  best,  for  the  welfare  of  the  young 
men    M^iom    they   may   reach.     Though    these 
institutions  are  not  in  CA'^ery  respect  patterned 
after  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Associations 
of  the  North,  and  more  latitude  is  allowed  in 


250  THE  GOSPEL  IN  LATIN  LANDS 

the  way  of  amusement  than  is  usually  expected 
in  such  institutions,  the  beneticial  effects  of 
these  halls  in  providing  a  common  meeting- 
place  for  young  Americans  where  temperance 
prevails,  and  religious  life  is  not  ignored,  can- 
not be  questioned. 

In  connection  with  the  churches  of  the 
Canal  Zone  are  found  Sunday-schools,  Chris- 
tian Endeavor  societies,  and  other  church  or- 
ganizations, and  though  some  of  the  churches 
are  as  yet  poorly  equippe'd  for  their  work,  the 
promise  of  the  future  is  large,  and  the  religious 
outlook  for  Panama  is  no  less  bright  than  the 
commercial  and  political  future. 

Colombia 

The  early  history  of  Colombia  is  one  of  the 
most  interesting  of  all  the  South  American  re- 
publics.    Tlie  great  Columbus   landed  on  her 
shores  on  his  third  voyage.     Cartagena,  on  the 
Atlantic    coast,   is    the   oldest    fortress    in   all 
An  undevel-  America.     The  illustrious  Balboa  started  from 
backward       ^^^  °^  ^^^"  P*^^'^*^  ^^^  ^^^^  famous  expedition  which 
state.  nearly  doubled  the  world's  knowledge  of  geog- 

raphy. But  the  later  history  of  Colombia  has 
not  borne  out  her  early  promise,  for  though  she 
threw  off  the  Sj)anish  yoke  in  the  early  part  of 
the  nineteenth  century,  when  her  sister  repub- 
lics gained  their  freedom  under  the  lead  of 
Bolivar,  she   has   remained,  with  all   her  vast, 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  SOUTH  AMERICA       251 

undeveloped  wealth,  one  of  the  most  backward 
of  the  South  American  nations.  Like  most 
other  South  American  countries,  she  has  been 
cursed  by  her  religion  and  her  politics,  for, 
though  freedom  of  worship  is  guaranteed 
throughout  the  republic,  her  people  are  still 
largely  under  the  domination  of  the  priesthood. 

The   first    Protestant    missionary  to  the  re-   The  first 
public  of  Colombia,  which  was  then  called  New  ^^^kf^"* 
Granada,  went  out  in  1856  under  the  auspices  Colombia, 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church  North.     This  was 
Rev.   Horace  B.  Pratt,  who  opened  a  fruitful 
work  in   Bogota,  though  the  first  church  was 
not   orofanized   until    after    his    return   to    the 
United  States.      For  twenty  years  the  mission 
barely  held   its    own,    but    reenforcements   ar- 
rived and,  since  then,  the  work   has   gone  on 
with  increasing  vigor. 

Bogota  is  one  of  the  highest  mission  stations  Presbyte- 
in  the  world,  being  nearly  two  miles  above  sea  gogot^^'^ 
level,  and  is  the  city  of  all  others  from  which 
the  life  of  the  Colombians  can  be  influenced. 
Here  is  a  boys'  school,  and  a  girls'  school,  the 
latter  occupying  a  valuable  site,  and  property 
worth  $30,000.  A  training  class  for  men  who 
are  learning  to  do  active  Christian  work  is  a 
gratifying  feature  of  the  mission.  Five  mis- 
sionaries occupy  this  important  field.  Baran- 
quilla,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Magdalena  River, 
is  another  important  station.  It  was  occupied 
first   by  the    Southern   Presbyterians,  but  was 


Adam 
Erwin 


252  rilE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 

taken  over  by  the  Northern    Presbyterians  in 
1888. 
Story  of  The  story  of  this  mission  can  never  be  com- 

plete without  allusion  to  a  devoted  layman, 
Mr.  Adam  Erwin,  "  who  laid  the  foundations 
in  Baranquilla  by  giving  Christian  education, 
teaching  the  Bible,  and  being  himself  a  living 
epistle."  When  the  Southern  Presbyterians 
withdrew,  he  stayed  alone,  we  are  told,  "  un- 
supported by  any  board,  dwarfed  and  bent, 
and  crippled  in  body,  yet  with  a  fine,  intelli- 
gent face,  a  brave  spirit,  and  a  heart  full  of 
love  for  souls.  When  he  died,  in  1897,  crowds 
of  both  rich  and  poor  attended  his  funeral,  and 
the  work  which  he  did  lives  after  him."  A 
splendid  example  this  of  the  far-reaching  in- 
fluence of  a  single  Christian  life. 
Summary  of  The  American  Bible  Society  has  more  than 
the  work,  once  canvassed  Colombia,  and  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  has  also  sent  colporteurs 
throughout  the  republic,  working  under  the 
direction  of  its  mission  in  Peru.  Mrs.  T.  S. 
Pond,  formerly  a  missionary  in  Baranquilla, 
sums  up  the  principal  results  accomplished  by 
missions  in  Colombia  as  the  breaking  down  of 
prejudice  and  opposition,  the  general  enlighten- 
ment of  the  people,  their  gradual  emancipation 
from  the  superstition  and  bondage  of  Roman- 
ism, and  the  development  of  a  desire  and  de- 
mand for  a  Christian  education. 


THE  GOSPEL  IN   SOUTH  AMERICA       253 


Ecuador 


Ecuador   is    the    only  country  in  the  world   The  country 

of  the 
equator. 


named  for  a  parallel  of  latitude.     The  equator,  "  *  ® 


which  bisects  it,  is  responsible  for  its  name  ; 
and  its  lofty  capital,  Quito,  on  the  high  table- 
lands, lies  nearly  on  the  line  of  no  latitude 
itself.  As  one  goes  south  on  the  west  coast, 
Ecuador  is  the  last  of  the  well-watered  coun- 
tries, the  arid  region  beginning  immediately 
below  the  border  of  Peru.  Quito  has  been  a 
famous  city  for  at  least  five  hundred  years,  and 
its  history  runs  back  beyond  the  days  of  the 
Incas,  who  finally  conquered  their  neighbors,  the 
Caras,  and  established  one  of  their  capitals  in 
Quito,  which  they  beautified  and  enriched  enor- 
mously. 

The  report  of  these  riches  fired  the  cupidity  Pizarroiu 
of  Pizarro,  who  very  soon  dispossessed  the  con- 
quering Incas,  and  captured  their  enormous 
treasures.  Ecuador  shared  to  the  full  with 
Peru  the  dreadful  tyranny  of  the  Spanish  rule, 
and  achieved  her  independence  under  General 
Sucre  in  1822.  Her  histor}^  since  then  has  been  a 
turbulent  one,  civil  war  succeeding  civil  war, 
and  dictatorship  following  dictatorship.  Abetter 
day,  however,  seems  to  be  dawning  for  Ecua- 
dor .  a.  railway  has  been  built  from  Guayaquil, 
the  great  port  of  Ecuador,  to  Quito,  and  the 
capital  city  will  no  longer  be  "  a  hundred  years 


254  THE  GOSPEL  IN  LATIN  LANDS 

behind  the  moon,"  as  the  people  of  Guayaquil 
now  say. 

On  account  of  the  strength  of  the  Church 
and  the  number  of  priests,  Quito  is  sometimes 
called  "  the  Little  Mother  of  the  Pope,"  and  it 
is  said  that  every  fourth  person  you  meet  on 
the  street  is  an  ecclesiastic  of  some  sort.  In 
spite  of  the  power  of  the  Catholic  Church, 
however,  Ecuador  is  not  the  most  backward 
republic  in  establishing  religious  liberty,  for 
in  1897  the  new  constitution  granted  freedom 
of  worship,  and  the  opening  then  made  was 
entered  at  once  by  the  Methodists  with  native 
preachers  and  colporteurs,  though  permanent 
churches  have  not  been  established  by  this 
board. 
What  the  In  1899,  w^e  are  told,  the  government  engaged 

Methodists     ^^^^  Methodist  presiding  elder  to  organize  a  sys- 

are  doing  for  jr  s  a  j 

Ecuador.        tem  of  national   normal   schools,  with   foreign 
Protestants  as  the  chief  teachers. 

Kansas  City,  Mo.,  has  the  honor  of  having 
organized  a  mission  to  Ecuador  called  "  The 
Gospel  Union,"  whose  missionaries  have  done 
a  good  work,  and  the  Christian  and  Missionary 
Alliance  of  New  York  City  has  also  entered  this 
a        field. 

Peru 

The  tragedy       One  of  the  most  interesting  countries  m  all 

of  Peru.         South  America  is  the    republic   of   Peru.     Its 

history  for  hundreds  of  years  has  been  a  con- 


THE  GOSPEL  IN   SOUTH  AMERICA       255 

tinual  tragedy,  but  it  now  seems  to  be  entering 
upon  a  period  of  prosperity  and  stability  such 
as  it  has  never  known  before.  On  the  rich 
table-lands  which  lie  just  beyond  the  coast-line 
of  the  Andes  was  the  great  empire  of  the  Incas, 
who  pushed  north  into  Ecuador,  and  south  into 
Chile,  but  had  their  chief  seat  of  dominion  in 
Cuzco,  the  ancient  capital.  We  have  already 
seen  how  strongly  this  city  was  defended  by 
impregnable  fortresses,  and  how  magnificent 
were  the  temples  and  palaces  of  the  king. 
Peru  was  the  chief  centre  of  the  wealth  of 
South  America  in  those  early  days,  and  the 
Spanish  conquerors  turned  their  rapacious  eyes 
chiefly  to  her,  and  her  devoted  people  suffered 
more  than  any  other  section  of  South  America. 
The  Indians,  armed  with  bows  and  arrows, 
were  no  match  for  the  artillery  of  the  Span- 
iards, or  their  rough  riders,  who  were  regarded 
by  the  terrified  natives  as  half  man  and  half 
horse. 

Pizarro's  bold  plans  were  carried  out  to  the 
letter,  and  one  after  another  the  Inca  chiefs  fell 
before  him.  A  pathetic  saying  of  one  of  these 
chiefs  is  recorded.  He  had  maintained  a  pre- 
carious independence  in  the  wilderness,  when 
he  was  called  upon  at  last,  after  a  fruitless 
resistance,  to  swear  allegiance  to  the  Spanish 
crown.  Lifting  the  gilded  fringe  of  the  table- 
cloth on  which  he  had  signed  the  document 
renouncing  his  rights,  he  said,  "All  this  cloth 


266  THE  GOSPEL  IN  LATIN  LANDS 

and  its  fringe  were  mine,  and  now  they  give 
me  a  thread  of  it  for  my  sustenance  and  that 
of  all  my  house." 

The  descendants  of  these  noble  and  highly 
civilized  Indians  still  occupy  their  old  plateaus. 
Spanish  blood  runs  in  the  veins  of  some  of 
them,  but  hundreds  of  thousands  are  of  the 
pure  Inca  type,  reminding  the  traveller  of  our 
North  American  Indians  of  the  best  class, 
with  their  high  cheek-bones  and  copper-colored 
skins.  Many  of  them  have  a  dignity  of  bear- 
ing and  repose  of  manner  wliich  still  marks 
them  as  a  noble,  if  defeated,  race. 

This  people  has  excited  the  interest  of  Chris- 
tians both  in  the  United  States  and  Great  Brit- 
ain, and  something  has  already  been  done  for 
their  evangelization.  Full  liberty  of  work  and 
worship  for  the  Protestants  is  not  yet  granted 
in  Peru,  this  being  the  only  republic  in  all 
South  America  whose  constitution  still  denies 
religious  liberty.  Much  practical  liberty,  how- 
ever, is  enjoj'ed,  and  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  under  the  leadership  of  liev.  Thomas 
B.  Wood,  has  established  a  strong  mission  in 
Lima  and  Callao.  The  school  work  of  this 
Church  is  an  especially  i^nportant  and  fruitful 
one.  Dr.  Wood  tells  us  that  "  no  other  form 
of  work  approaches  it  in  effectiveness  for  stop- 
ping the  mouths  of  enemies,  breaking  down 
prejudices,  gaining  popular  sympathy,  and  tight- 
ening the  grip  on  the  public  mind." 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  SOUTH  AMERICA        257 


In  Cuzco  and  Arequipa  an  interesting  work  Work  in 

Cuzco 
Lima. 


is  being  carried  on  by  missionaries  who  went  *^"^^'"  '"^^^ 


out  from  the  East  London  Mission  Institute. 
More  recentl}'  taken  over  by  the  Regions  Be- 
yond Mission.  In  Lima,  Rev.  J.  S.  Watson 
has  established  a  church  of  great  promise,  and  \^(>/V>^ 
his  winning  personality  has  commended  his 
cause  to  all.  Dr.  Guinness  has  large  plans  for 
the  "  Children  of  the  Sun,"  intending  to  secure 
great  tracts  of  land  for  the  establishment  of 
agricultural  and  industrial  colonies. 

The  Bible  Societies  have  done  their  full  work 
in  Peru,  and,  as  elsewhere  in  South  America, 
have  been  among  the  most  important  factors  in 
spreading  the  good  news  of  a  true  Christianity. 

The  Anglicans  and  Lutherans  have  churches 
for  the  English  and  Germans,  and  the  day  is 
not  distant  when  the  land  of  the  Incas  can  no 
longer  be  considered  the  most  neglected  part  of 
the  Neglected  Continent. 

The  work  of  Christian  women    in    all  these  Woman's 
South  American  countries  cannot   be  overesti-  ^"""^  ^'^^ 

woman. 

mated.  The  priesthood  has  its  chief  hold  upon 
the  women  of  the  Church,  who  are  still  bound 
by  its  superstitions.  They  are  afraid  for  the 
most  part  to  come  to  the  Protestant  churches, 
which  their  fathers  and  brothers  do  not  hes- 
itate to  attend.  They  are  reached  chiefly 
through  the  schools  which  their  children  at- 
tend. "  No  other  mission  field,"  we  are  told, 
"  seems   likely   to    have    its    evangelization    so 


268 


TBB  GOSPEL  IN  LATIN  LANDS 


largely  in  the  hands  of  woman  as  the  land  of 
the  Incas,  where  woman's  work  for  woman  oc- 
cupies the  strongest  obtainable  vantage  ground 
for  turning  those  nations  from  darkness  to  light 
and  from  the  power  of  Satan  unto  God." 


Bolivia 

Bolivia  is  one  of  the  most  inaccessible  coun- 
tries in  the  world.  It  occupies  the  southern 
part  of  the  great  central  plateau  of  South 
America,  and  except  where  this  plateau  drops 
sharply  towards  the  Atlantic,  its  people  live  in 
the  rarefied  atmosphere  of  twelve  thousand  feet 
above  the  sea.  It  is  a  country  of  lofty  moun- 
tain peaks,  many  of  their  summits  rising  twenty 
thousand  feet  above  sea  level,  and  it  borders 
on  the  great  Lake  Titicaca,  which  for  size  com- 
pares with  our  own  smaller  inland  seas. 

Bolivia  has  been  well  called  the  Switzerland 
of  America,  and  like  the  Switzerland  of  Europe, 
it  can  only  be  entered  through  foreign  territory, 
for,  since  the  disastrous  war  with  Chile  in  1879, 
it  lost  its  only  strip  of  sea-coast.  Now,  in 
order  to  reach  this  far  interior  state  of  South 
America,  one  must  land  at  MoUendo  in  Peru, 
or  at  Antofagasta  in  Chile,  both  of  which  ports 
contend  for  the  unenviable  distinction  of  being 
the  worst  harbors  in  the  world.  If  the  sea  is 
at  all  rough,  it  is  impossible  to  land  at  either 
port,  and  when  one  has  landed,  he  must  climb 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  SOUTH  AMERICA       259 

prodigious  mountains  nearly  fifteen  thousand 
feet  in  height  before  he  can  find  the  pass  which 
leads  him  to '  this  great  republic.  One  sees 
many  interesting  things  on  the  way  which 
make  the  journey  well  worth  taking ;  the  mag- 
nificent mountain  peaks,  towering  on  every 
side  ;  the  yawning  gullies  leading  to  green 
and  fertile  meadows  ;  the  travelling  sand  hills 
which  sometimes  stop  the  trains  for  hours  or 
days  until  they  can  be  shovelled  away;  and  the 
primitive  natives  who  have  scarcely  yet  emerged 
from  barbarism,  and  who  constitute  nine-tenths 
of  the  mhabitants. 

La  Paz,  the  capital,  is  one  of  the  most  curious  A  surpris- 
and  interesting  of  cities,  situated  in  a  deep  hoi-  ^"^  ^^  ^' 
low  scooped  out  of  the  high  plateau  by  the  action 
of  water ;  more  than  two  miles  above  sea  level, 
its  red-tiled  roofs  burst  upon  the  traveller  as  a 
complete  surprise  when  he  peers  over  the  edge 
of  the  plateau  and  sees  a  large  city  of  seventy 
thousand  people  nestling  in  what  looks  like  the 
crater  of  an  extinct  volcano. 

Hither  the  indefatigable  missionaries  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  have  made  their 
wa}^  and  established  an  important  school  that  aries. 
receives  the  distinguished  favor  of  the  govern- 
ment, which  has  within  two  years  proclaimed 
religious  liberty  for  all.  The  Canadian  Baptists 
first  occupied  this  field  as  well  as  the  important 
city  of  Oruro,  the  second  largest  in  Bolivia, 
where  they  still  hold  the  fort.     When,  because 


260 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 


of  ill  health,  their  missionaries  withdrew  from 
I^l:^z,J\Ir.  aiid  Mrs.  Harriiigtori,  of  tlie  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Board,  made  it  the  centre  of 
their  educational  work.  So  much  pleased  were 
the  governmental  authorities  with  this  school, 
that  an  important  part  of  the  public  schools  of 
Oruro  have  been  put  under  Mr.  Harrington's 
care. 

The  past  history  of  Bolivia  has  not  been  an 
encouraging  one,  but  her  resources  are  enormous, 
and  they  are  beginning  to  be  developed  by  Brit- 
ish and  American  capital.  An  old  writer  has 
described  Bolivia  as  a  "  table  of  silver  on  legs 
of  gold,"  though  of  late  years  the  tin  and  cop- 
per deposits  have  been  of  still  greater  value. 
But  the  pioneer  missionaries  in  this  hermit  na- 
tion have  discovered  something  of  more  value 
than  the  products  of  the  rich  mines  and  forests, 
and  are  finding  treasures  in  the  souls  of  the 
Bolivians  which  repay  them  for  all  their  efforts. 

Chile 


The  peculiar  geographical  features  of  Chile 
are  well  known  to  every  schoolboy.  If  we 
think  of  the  United  States  as  stretching  from 
Nova  Scotia  to  the  Isthmus  of  Panama,  and  run- 
ning back  a  hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  the 
coast,  we  have  some  rough  idea  of  this  lengthy 
republic.  There  are  three  distinct  zones,  each 
some  eight  or  nine  hundred  miles  in  length ; 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  SOUTH  AMERICA       261 

the  absolutely  rainless  zone  in  the  north,  the 
semi-rainless  middle  section  where  irrigation 
must  be  resorted  to,  and  the  abundantly  well- 
watered  section  of  the  south,  which  stretches 
down  to  the  Strait  of  Magellan,  much  of  which 
is  clothed  with  great  forests,  and  is  well  adapted 
to  the  production  of  wheat  and  other  grains. 

The  early  history  of  Chile  differs  from  that  its  eaiiy 
of  its  sister  republics  of  the  west  coast  in  that  ^^  °'^' 
it  contained  but  little  silver  and  gold,  so  far 
as  was  then  known,  to  tempt  the  cupidity  of 
the  Spanish  conquerors.  The  native  Chileans, 
therefore,  who  had  not  attained  by  any  means 
to  the  civilization  of  the  Incas,  were  left  in  com- 
parative quiet.  Indeed,  the  Spaniards  never 
conquered  the  Araucanian  Indians,  but  were 
obliged  to  limit  their  dominion  practically  at 
the  Biobio  River  in  southern  Chile. 

From  1809  to  1819  was  the  date  of  Chile's 
struggle  for  independence,  and  in  this  war  San 
Martin,  the  Argentine  general,  and  the  most 
unselfish  and  patriotic  of  all  the  South  Ameri- 
can revolutionists,  was  the  chief  heroic  figure. 
Since  the  war  for  independence,  Chile  has  had 
her  political  ups  and  downs,  like  all  her  sister 
republics,  but  has  always  been  recognized  as  one 
of  the  most  virile  and  vigorous  of  the  South 
American  states.  This  is  accounted  for  in  part 
by  the  large  infusion  of  European  blood,  espe- 
cially of  British  blood  in  the  early  days  of  her 
independence. 


262 


THE   GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LJl^'DS 


English 
Dames 
in  Cliile. 


The  war 
with  Peru. 


A  victory 
that  was 
worse  than 
a  deleat. 


"  To  call  the  roll  of  the  leading  families  of  Chile  to-day 
■would  seem  like  reading  a  page  of  tJie  London  or  Glasgow 
or  Belfast  directory.  O'lliggins,  McKenna,  Walker,  Ed- 
wards, Pratt,  Tapper,  MacClure,  Koss,  etc.,  are  still  the 
leading  names,  and  in  most  of  the  larger  towns  and  many 
smaller  ones  we  see  Edwards  Street,  and  Pratt  Plaza,  and 
O'Higgins  Square,  while  the  chief  ironclad  of  her  navy 
is  named  after  the  Irish  youth  O'lliggins,  who  became  in 
the  course  of  the  years  governor  of  Chile,  and  finally 
viceroy  of  the  Spanish  dominions,  while  his  son,  Bernardo 
O'Higgins,  was  a  leader  of  the  revolution  that  set  Chile 
free."  ^ 

The  constitution  of  Chile  is  the  most  aristo- 
cratic and  centralized  of  American  constitutions. 
There  is  high  property  qualification  for  suffrage, 
and  an  education  test  as  well,  and  the  govern- 
ment offices  are  still  centred  in  the  hands  of 
comparatively  few  families. 

The  most  important  event  in  the  recent  history 
of  Chile  was  the  war  with  Peru  and  Bolivia  for 
the  possession  of  the  richest  nitrate  field  in  all 
the  world.  In  this  war  the  allies  were  igno- 
miniously  beaten,  and  Chile  came  off  triumphant 
on  land  and  sea.  She  stripped  Bolivia  of  all 
her  sea-coast  and  annexed  some  of  the  richest 
provinces  of  Peru.  Her  victory,  however,  was 
almost  worse  than  defeat,  for,  though  the  reve- 
nues of  the  country  were  immensely  increased, 
the  sudden  wealth  encouraged  extravagance 
and  disordered  the  finances,  and  in  some  respects 
Chile  is  poorer  to-day  than  Peru,  her  conquered 
rival,  who  learned  the  lesson  of  adversity  and  is 
1  From  "  The  Continent  of  Opportunity." 


THE      OSPEL   IN   SOUTH  AMERICA        263 

showing  great  recuperative  powers.  The  hatred 
engendered  by  this  war  was  most  intense,  espe- 
cially on  the  part  of  Peru,  and,  though  nearly 
a  generation  has  passed,  the  sores  are  not  yet 
healed.  "  Did  Christ  die  for  all  men  ?  "  a  little 
Peruvian  in  a  mission  school  was  asked  recently; 
"  For  all  but  the  Chileans,"  was  the  prompt  but 
unbiblical  reply. 

The  latest  disaster  which  has  come  to  Chile  The 
was  the  terrible  earthquake  of  1906,  which  lYi^^^^ 
wrecked  the  city  of  Valparaiso  as  few  cities 
have  been  overwhelmed.  Far  into  the  interior 
of  Chile,  too,  the  force  of  the  earthquake  was 
felt,  and  even  in  Santiago,  a  hundred  and  fifty 
miles  away,  the  tombs  of  the  dead  gaped  open, 
and  the  bodies  were  shot  out  from  their  resting- 
places.  Valparaiso,  however,  is  recovering  from 
the  awful  shock,  though  it  may  be  a  quarter  of 
a  century  before  the  city  is  fully  rebuilt.  She 
will,  however,  always  be  one  of  the  most  im- 
portant cities  of  the  southern  continent,  because 
her  harbor,  though  none  of  the  best,  is  one  of 
the  chief  seaports  on  the  unindented  west  coast 
of  South  America. 

After  the  long  journey  down  the  barren,  tree-  "TheYaieof 
less  coast,  where  for  twenty  days  the  traveller 
has  seen  no  sign  of  vegetation,  the  sight  of  Val- 
paraiso, lying  on  its  green  slopes  rising  precipi- 
tously from  the  water's  edge,  fills  him  with  joy, 
and  he  thinks  the  city  well  worthy  of  its  name, 
"The  Vale  of  Paradise." 


Paradise. 


264 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 


Successful 
missions  of 
the  Presby- 
terians and 
Methodists. 


A  notable 
school. 


Santiago  is,  however,  a  still  more  beautiful 
city,  with  finer  buildings,  and  is  by  far  the  lead- 
ing capital  on  the  west  coast.  In  its  very 
centre  rises  a  wonderful  rocky  hill  called  Santa 
Lucia.  This  has  been  converted  into  a  park, 
decorated  with  flower  gardens  and  beautiful 
trees,  while  little  streams  dance  merrily  down 
on  either  side,  and  lovely  winding  walks  em- 
bowered with  most  exquisite  foliage,  make  it  all 
in  all  perhaps  the  most  beautiful  pleasure-ground 
in  the,  world. 

Chile  is  the  chief  seat  of  Protestant  mission- 
ary work  on  the  west  coast  of  South  America. 
The  two  leading  missionary  societies  are  those 
of  the  American  Presbyterian  Church  (North) 
and  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  (North), 
the  Methodist  having  the  larger  number  of 
workers.  In  few  parts  of  the  world  have  mis- 
sions been  carried  on  more  intelligently  and 
successfully.  Both  of  these  boards  have  numer- 
ous central  stations  well  covering  the  length 
and  breadth  of  Chile,  and  many  outlying  points 
where  services  are  held  regularly.  The  chief 
centres  of  Presbyterian  work  are  Santiago,  Val- 
paraiso, Concepcion,  and  Copiap6.  The  Metho- 
dists are  also  strong  in  these  cities,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  Copiapo,  and  have  a  number  of  other 
centres.  Tlie  educational  work  of  both  these 
boards  is  a  most  important  one.  The  Instituto 
Inglese  in  Santiago  of  the  Presbyterian  Board, 
under  the  care  of  Dr.  Browning,  is  typical  of 


Methodist 
colleges. 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  SOUTH  AMERICA       265 

the  best  mission  schools  in  any  part  of  the 
world.  Though  not  of  full  college  grade,  it  oc- 
cupies for  South  America  some  such  position  as 
Kobert  College  holds  for  the  Balkan  states  and 
for  Turkey.  Here  are  educated  boys  from  all 
parts  of  Chile,  from  Bolivia  and  Peru  and  Ar- 
gentina, and,  while  an  admirable  education  is 
given  them  which  they  cannot  find  in  their 
native  schools,  it  is  never  forgotten  that  this  is 
distinctively  a  Christian  institution,  and  that 
education  without  religion  may  be  a  curse  rather 
than  a  blessing. 

The  Methodist  colleges  in  Iquique  and  Con-  important 
cepcion  as  well  as  the  admirable  girls'  seminary 
in  Santiago  deserve  equal  praise,  and  have  ex- 
tended their  influence  over  the  whole  of  southern 
South  America.  The  Presbyterians  have  some 
fifteen  American  missionaries  in  Chile,  and  the 
Methodists  over  forty,  and  much  good  literature 
is  circulated  by  both  boards,  the  Methodists  hav- 
ing an  extensive  printing  plant  at  the  capital. 

The  good  work  of  these  missions  is  felt  in  the 
remotest  corners  of  Chile,  through  the  students 
who  go  out  from  their  great  schools,  through 
the  "  leaves  of  healing  "  sent  from  the  mission 
press,  and  through  the  direct  evangelizing  efforts 
of  the  missionaries  and  their  converts.  Too 
much  importance  cannot  be  attached  to  the 
leavening  influence  of  these  many  agencies  of 
the  Gospel.  Through  them,  especially  through 
the  schools,  rich  and  poor,  high   and  low    are 


266  TUE  GOSPEL  IN  LATIN  LANDS 

reached,  and  the  future  days  of  greater  light 
and  progress  which  are  surely  coming  to  this 
stalwart  republic  of  the  west  coast  will  be 
supremely  indebted  to  the  devoted  self-sacri- 
ficing of  these  great  denominations. 
Missions  Besides  the  Methodist  and  Presbyterian  work, 

among  the     ^|^    South  American  Missionary  Society  of  the 

Araucanian  -^  -^ 

Indians.  Church  of  England  has  been  the  chief  evange- 
listic agency  in  Chile.  In  addition  to  the  chap- 
lains who  have  been  sent  to  important  points  on 
the  coast,  the  work  for  the  Araucanian  Indians 
by  this  society  has  been  most  interesting  and 
successful.  Some  fifty  thousand  members  of 
this  strong  aboriginal  race  are  still  living  in 
southern  Chile.  They  dwell  in  huts  thatched 
with  long  grass,  and  keep  up  their  ancient 
customs  and  dress.  They  cultivate  wheat  and 
potatoes,  and  many  of  them  have  large  herds 
of  cattle  and  sheep.  Work  for  these  Indians 
was  inaugurated  by  the  intrepid  Captain  Allen 
Gardiner,  of  whom  we  shall  hear  more  in 
another  chapter,  but  he  was  unable  to  continue 
it  on  account  of  the  fierce  opposition  of  the 
Catholic  priests.  His  labors  were  not  vain, 
however,  for  fifty  years  afterwards,  in  1889, 
and  nearly  forty  years  after  his  death,  the  South 
American  Missionary  Society,  of  which  he  was 
practically  the  founder,  appointed  a  missionary 
to  minister  to  these  Indians. 

By  this  time  the  region  had  been  occupied  by 
many  English  settlers  who  lived  near  the  Indians. 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  SOUTH  AMERICA       267 

Religious  liberty  had  been  proclaimed  by  the  The  fruition 
government.     Thus  Captain  Gardiner's  prayers  Aiien^Gardi- 
were  at  last  answered,  and  a  way  opened  for  the  ner's  work, 
evangelization  of  this  noble  race,  a  grandson  of 
Captain    Gardiner's    being   one  of   the  earliest 
missionaries. 

Two  stations  are  now  occupied  by  this  society 
at  Cholchol  and  Quepe.  One  of  the  most  ira- 
j)ortant  features  of  the  Quepe  station  is  the  in- 
dustrial school  where  farming,  carpenter  work, 
and  other  trades  are  taught.  Rev.  C.  A. 
Sadlier,  whom  Canada  has  contributed  to  this 
British  mission,  has  translated  parts  of  the 
Bible  into  Araucanian,  and  through  the  schools 
and  churches,  and  Christian  Endeavor  societies, 
and  the  out-station  work  of  this  vigorous  mis- 
sion, the  natives  of  this  far  southern  section  of 
South  America  are  receiving  the  blessings,  ma- 
terial, mental,  and  spiritual,  which  always  come 
with  the  advent  of  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ. 

MISSIONARY  DIRECTORY 

Panama. 

Southern  Baptist  Convention.  Methodist  Episcoiial 
Church.  Presbyterian  Church  (North).  South 
American  Missionary  Society.  Church  of  England. 
Wesleyan  Methodist  Church. 

Colombia. 

Presbyterian  Church  (North).  American  Bible  Soci- 
ety. INIethodist  Episcopal  Church.  Wesleyan  Meth- 
odist Church. 


268  THE  GOSPEL    IN  LATIN  LANDS 

Ecuador. 

Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  The  Gospel  Union. 
The  Christian  and  Missionary  Alliance. 

Peru. 

Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  East  London  Mission 
Institute.  Regions  beyond  mission.  Christian  Mis- 
sions ("  Brethren  ").  Independent  Baptist  Missionary 
Movement. 

Bolivia. 

Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Baptist  Convention  of 
Ontario  and  Quebec.  South  American  Evangelical 
Mission. 

Chile. 

Presbyterian  Church  (North).  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.  South  American  Missionary  Society.  Amer- 
ican Seamen's  Friend  Society.  Christian  and  Mis- 
sionary Alliance. 

TOPICS   FOR   FURTHER   STUDY 

For  Women's  Clubs  or  for  Individuals 

The  Canal  Zone  —  its  history,  its  present  conditions, 
its  future  prospects. 
The  Story  of  Peru. 
Story  of  the  Incas. 
Life  among  the  Araucanian  Indians. 
Chile  and  the  Chileans. 

For  Neighborhood  Reading  Circles 

"  Adventures  in  Patagonia."     Titus  Coan. 

•'  The  Araucanians."     Edmond  R.  Smith. 

"  The  Continent  of  Opportunity."     F.  E.  Clark. 

"  South  American  Sketches."     R.  Crawford. 

"Around  and  about  South  America."     J.  F.  Vincent. 


THE   GOSPEL   IN  SOUTH  AMERICA        269 

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

"New  Granada."     Isaac  F.  Holton. 

"  Protestant  Missions  in  South  America."  Harlan  P. 
Beach. 

"  Peru :  its  Story,  People,  and  Religion."  Geraldine 
Guinness. 

"  Panama  to  Patagonia."     Pepper. 

"South  America:  the  Neglected  Continent."  E.  C. 
Millard  and  Lucy  E.  Guinness. 


ILLUSTRATIVE   SELECTIONS 

The  Capture  of   the  Inca    (From  "The  Conquest 
OF  Peku  ") 

It  was  Saturday,  the  sixteenth  of  November,  1532. 
The  loud  cry  of  the  trumpet  called  the  Spaniards  to  arms 
with  the  first  streak  of  dawn,  and  Pizarro,  briefly  ac- 
quainting them  with  the  plan  of  the  assault,  made  the 
necessary  dispositions.  .  .  . 

Arrangements  being  completed,  mass  was  performed 
with  great  solemnity  by  the  ecclesiastics  who  attended 
the  expedition  ;  the  God  of  battles  was  invoked  to  spread 
his  shield  over  the  soldiers  who  were  fighting  to  extend 
the  empire  of  the  Cross  ;  and  all  joined  with  enthusiasm 
in  the  chant,  "  Exsurge,  Domine,"  —  "  Rise,  O  Lord  ! 
and  judge  thine  own  cause."  One  might  have  supposed 
them  a  company  of  martyrs  about  to  lay  down  their  lives 
in  defence  of  their  faith,  instead  of  a  licentious  band  of 
adventurers  meditating  one  of  the  most  atrocious  acts  of 
perfidy  on  the  record  of  history !  Yet,  whatever  were 
the  vices  of  the  Castilian  cavalier,  hypocrisy  was  not 
among  the  number.  He  felt  that  he  was  battling  for  the 
Cross,  and  under  this  conviction,  exalted  as  it  was  at 
such  a  moment  as  this  into  the  predominant  impulse,  he 
was  blind  to  the  baser  motives  which  mingled  with  the 


270  THE  GOSPEL  IN  LATIN  LANDS 

enterprise.  With  feelings  thus  kindled  to  a  flame  of  re- 
ligious ardor,  the  soldiers  of  Pizarro  looked  forward  with 
renovated  spirits  to  the  coming  conflict. 

—  W.  H.  Pkescott. 


What  has  Romanism  done  to  spread  Gospel 
Truth  in  South  America  ? 

In  the  first  place,  it  has  not  even  spread  itself  over  the 
continent,  though  it  has  been  in  South  America  about 
four  centuries.  It  has  not  reached  great  multitudes,  but 
has  left  the  great  heart  of  the  continent  and  many  other 
parts  as  pagan  as  at  the  coming  of  the  conquerors. 
Strictly  speaking,  it  cannot  be  said  to  have  even  covered 
the  borders  of  the  continent. 

Where  it  is  it  does  not  possess  and  maintain  pure  Gos- 
pel truth,  and  therefore  has  not  imparted  the  true  Gospel, 
and  could  not  be  expected  to  spread  what  it  did  not 
possess. 

It  has  opposed  the  entrance  and  work  of  those  who 
brought  the  pure  Gospel  of  Christ,  and  it  has  tried  to  pre- 
vent the  people  hearing  the  missionaries  who  have  had 
opportunity  to  proclaim  the  simple  truth  as  it  is  in 
Christ  Jesus.  It  did  not  do  the  work  itself,  and  it  would 
not  let  others  do  it.  It  interfered  with  freedom  of 
speech  and  rights  of  conscience.  It  has  opposed  the 
free  use  of  the  Bible  among  the  peoj^le,  and  both  bishop 
and  priest  have  prohibited  the  possession  and  the  read- 
ing of  the  Bible.  —  From  ^^  South  America  a  Mission 
Field,"  by  Bishop  Thomas  B.  Neehj. 


CHAPTER   VI 

THE   GOSPEL   IN    SOUTH   AMERICA    (^continued) 

The  Uast  Coast 

The  east  coast  of  South  America  has  peculi-  Peculiarities 
arities  no  less  marked  than  the  west  coast.  In  "  ecoas . 
fact,  so  different  are  these  two  shores  of  tlie  great 
continent,  and  so  little  have  they  in  common, 
that  they  seem  to  belong  to  entirely  different 
sections  of  the  earth's  surface.  Instead  of  the 
long  stretches  of  desert  land  which  we  found 
on  the  west  side  of  South  America,  on  the  east 
coast  we  find  the  most  luxuriant  vegetation 
clothing  every  foot  of  ground  from  northern 
Venezuela  almost  to  Tierra  del  Fuego. 

On  this  coast  we  find  great  rivers  bearing  to 
the  Atlantic  a  far  greater  body  of  water  than 
our  own  Mississippi  carries  to  the  sea.  Here 
are  splendid  harbors,  instead  of  the  surf-washed, 
unindented  coast  of  the  west  shore ;  here  mines 
and  mining  largely  give  place  to  agriculture 
and  stock-raising.  Because  of  the  absence  of 
gold  and  silver,  the  west  coast  of  Soutli  America 
was  largely  freed  from  the  ravages  of  the  Span- 
ish conquerors,  who  despised  any  product  which 
did  not  show  the  gleam  of  the  jDrecious  metal. 
271 


272 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  LATIN  LANDS 


The  original 
inhabitants. 


The  original  inhabitants  of  the  east  coast  are  as 
different  from  the  west  as  the  products  of  the 
soil.  Rude  tribes  of  savages  roamed  tlie  path- 
less forests,  tribes  that  were  scarcely  worth  con- 
quering, and  were  left  in  their  savage  state, 
many  of  them  to  the  present  day. 

The  first  product  exported  from  Brazil  was  a 
certain  dyewood  which  produced  brilliant  red. 
This  was  called  by  the  early  explorers  "  Brazil 
wood,"  and  from  the  tree,  which  was  long  sup- 
posed to  be  the  only  product  of  commercial  value, 
the  country  took  its  name.  Now  in  the  beautiful 
Alameda  Centrale  in  Rio  de  Janeiro,  a  long  row 
of  these  trees,  each  surrounded  by  a  little  flower 
garden,  stands  in  memory  of  the  forests  which 
first  attracted  adventurers  to  Brazilian  shores. 

It  was  soon  found,  however,  that,  though  the 
east  coast  of  South  America  was  apparently 
destitute  of  the  precious  metals,  a  supposition 
which  has  since  proved  untrue,  it  had  vast  re- 
sources of  its  own  which  the  world  needed  quite 
as  much  as  it  needed  gold  and  silver,  and  settle- 
ments began  to  spring  up  on  the  coasts  of  Vene- 
zuela and  Brazil  and  in  the  rich  alluvial  plains 
of  the  Rio  de  la  Plata.  The  Spanish  settle- 
ments were  hampered  and  their  progress  hin- 
dered in  many  ways  by  the  government,  which, 
for  the  sake  of  monopoly  of  trade,  demanded  that 
everything  for  the  growing  colonies  should  be 
carried  toilsomely  across  the  Isthmus  of  Panama, 
down  the  west  coast,  and  across  the  mountains 


THE  GOSPEL  IN   SOUTH  AMERICA       273 

to  the  Atlantic  shore  again.  But  the  young 
colonies  were  too  vigorous  for  the  mother-coun- 
try to  completely  throttle,  and  through  the  slow 
centuries  they  grew  in  power  and  strength  until 
the  time  of  the  great  South  American  upheaval 
arrived,  and  all  the  Spanish-speaking  states 
achieved  their  independence  on  the  east  and 
west  coast  alike. 

Brazil,  as  we  shall  see  later,  because  of  its  Seif- 
Portuguese  antecedents,  reached  its  present  po-  fg^fj™|°f 
sition  as  the  leading  republic  of  South  America 
through  a  longer  and  more  circuitous  route. 
But  since  1889,  with  the  exception  of  the  three 
colonies  of  English,  Dutch,  and  French  Guiana 
in  the  north,  and  the  Falkland  Islands  in  the 
south,  all  the  territory  of  South  America  has 
been  owned  by  self-governing  and  independent 
republics  patterned  largely,  at  least  in  their 
theory  of  government,  after  the  great  sister  of 
all  the  republics,  the  United  States  of  America. 

In  studying  the  religious  condition  of  the 
east  coast  of  South  America,  we  shall  find  that 
her  soil  has  been  baptized  by  the  blood  of  heroes 
and  martyrs,  —  the  noble  Moravian  missiona- 
ries in  Guiana,  the  French  Huguenots  in  Brazil, 
and  Allen  Gardiner  and  his  companions  in 
Tierra  del  Fuego.  On  this  coast,  too,  we  shall 
find  great  cities  rivalling  in  magnificence  the 
world's  finest  capitals ;  we  shall  find  progress 
and  enlightenment  such  as  we  find  in  no  other 
part  of  South  America ;  and  in  some  of  the  coun- 


274 


THE   GOSPEL   IN  LATIN   LANDS 


Lights  and 
shadows  in 
eastern 
South 
America. 


tries  we  shall  find  a  depth  of  ignorance,  super- 
stition, and  barbarism  which  can  scarcely  be 
equalled  elsewhere.  We  shall  find  some  coun- 
tries advancing  with  rapid  strides  to  the  fore- 
front of  the  most  civilized  nations  of  the  world, 
and  others  as  backward  and  ill-governed  as 
can  be  found  in  Central  Africa.  Such  are  the 
lights  and  shadows  which  confront  us  as  we 
come  to  study  the  material,  social,  and  religious 
condition  of  the  eastern  portion  of  South 
America. 


Venezuela 


Discovery  of 
Venezuela. 


To  begin  with  the  northernmost  country,  we 
find  Venezuela  the  most  turbulent  and  hopeless 
of  all  the  South  American  republics.  On  his 
third  voyage,  in  1498,  Columbus  discovered  the 
coast  of  Venezuela,  south  of  the  Windward 
Islands.  A  year  later  Alonzo  de  Ojeda,  follow- 
ing the  coast  along  for  hundreds  of  miles,  sailed 
into  the  great  Gulf  of  Maracaibo,  where  he 
found  the  Indians  living  in  villages,  with  houses 
built  on  piles  driven  into  the  shallow  water  near 
the  shore.  Recalling  to  mind  the  Italian  city 
of  the  lagoons,  he  called  the  place  Venezuela, 
or  "Little  Venice,"  a  name  which  afterwards 
was  given  to  the  whole  of  the  great  republic, 
great  territorially,  of  northeastern  South  Amer- 
ica. Fifty  years  later,  unfortunately  for  the 
natives,  some  gold  and  silver  were  discovered, 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  SOUTH  AMERICA       275 

but  the  placer  mines  were  soon  exhausted,  and 
after  that  Spain  had  little  use  for  this  province, 
though  it  was  larger  and  richer  than  the  mother- 
country  itself. 

It  is  interesting  to  notice  in  passing  that  the 
first  efforts  to  free  Venezuela  from  foreign  rule 
were  made  in  1806  by  one  Francisco  Miranda, 
who  had  fought  under  Washington  in  our 
American  Revolution.  His  expedition  was 
made  up  of  American  filibusters  who  had  sailed 
from  New  York  in  three  ships.  They  were  An  abortive 
beaten,  however,  when  they  attempted  to  land,  gxpioit^'^ 
and  ten  of  the  "  Yankees "  were  condemned 
and  shot  in  Puerto  Cabello,  where  a  monument 
has  recently  been  erected  to  their  memory,  a 
scarcely  deserved  honor,  it  must  be  admitted. 
Five  years  later,  on  the  fifth  of  July,  almost 
exactly  on  the  thirty-fifth  anniversary  of  the 
independence  of  the  United  States,  Venezuela 
declared  her  seven  provinces  free  and  indepen- 
dent states.  She  had  to  fight,  however,  to  make 
the  declaration  good,  and  it  was  twelve  years 
before  the  Spanish  poAver  was  finally  broken. 

Venezuela  has  the  honor  of  giving  birth  to  simon 
Simon  Bolivar,  a  great  and  forceful  character,  ^^o'l^'^^"- 
in  spite  of  serious  moral  defects  which  have 
clouded  his  memory.  More  than  any  other 
one  man  he  fired  not  only  Venezuela  but  all 
South  America  with  a  desire  for  freedom.  He 
won  many  battles,  and  lost  more,  and  died 
broken-hearted,  having   been    forced  to  resign 


276  THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 

the  presidency  of  his  own  country.  Neverthe- 
less he  will  always  be  honored  whenever  the 
history  of  South  America  is  written,  as  her 
chief  deliverer  from  the  Spanish  yoke.  The 
later  history  of  Venezuela  has  been  turbulent 
to  the  last  extreme,  and  she  is  now  embroiled 
in  disputes  with  the  United  States  and  half  the 
The  "bad  countries  of  Europe.  This  is  the  "naughty 
South"  small   boy  "   among   the    nations,   disagreeable 

America.        and  offensive,  but   too   insignificant  for  them 
thoroughly  to  punish. 

It  cannot  be  expected  that  in  such  a  country 
a  pure  and  spiritual  religion  could  make  rapid 
progress.  Still  there  have  been  heroic  souls  in 
Venezuela  who  have  left  their  impress  upon 
the  whole  country. 
The  pioneer  The  pioneer  of  Protestant  effort  in  Venezuela, 
society.  ^g  -j^  many  other  parts  of  South  America,  has 

been  the  American  Bible  Society,  whose  agents 
have  frequently  canvassed  the  larger  places. 
It  was  not  until  1897  that  preaching  services 
were  begun  by  the  Presbyterian  missionaries  in 
their  own  home.  Three  years  later  a  church 
of  seventeen  members  was  organized,  and  a 
Sunday-school,  Christian  Endeavor  Society,  and 
day-schools  soon  took  their  places  as  regular 
branches  of  the  work  at  Caracas. 

In  the  same  year  the  Christian  and  Missionary 
Alliance  opened  a  hall  for  evangelistic  services 
in  the  capital,  with  branch  work  at  La  Guayra. 
The  Plymouth  Brethren  and  the  South  Ameri- 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  SOUTH  AMERICA        277 

can  Evangelical  Mission  of  Toronto  also  have 
stations  in  Venezuela. 

The  story  of  Protestant  work  here  cannot  a  devoted 
be  written  without  an  allusion  to  Emilio  Silva  *y"^°- 
Bryant,  a  Spanish  boy  adopted  by  an  English- 
man, who  afterward  became  a  railroad  official  in 
Venezuela.  He  was  converted  when  very  young, 
and  did  not  leave  his  religion  behind  him  when 
he  came  to  Caracas  at  the  age  of  eighteen.  He 
is  a  splendid  example  of  what  one  young  man 
can  do.  He  was  poor,  had  to  work  daily  for  a 
living,  and  was  not  strong  in  body,  dying  in 
less  than  six  years  of  consumption,  and  yet, 
through  his  consecrated  life  and  courageous 
devotion  to  his  faith,  he  has  left  a  name  which 
will  always  be  remembered  in  Venezuela  as  the 
pioneer  of  Protestantism,  and  a  type  of  what 
Christianity  can  do  for  one  who  is  wholly  given 
to  God's  service.  When  the  Presbyterian 
missionaries  reached  Venezuela,  they  found 
that  converts  had  already  been  made  by  the 
devoted  life  and  teaching  of  this  one  obscure 
young  layman,  and  a  church  composed  of  these 
converts  was  soon  gathered.  The  mission  thus 
begun  is  the  most  important  and  hopeful  evan- 
gelistic work  in  Venezuela. 

The   Guianas 

It  is  refreshing  to  turn  from  a  turbulent  and  Some  peace- 
distracted  country  like  Venezuela  to  its  peace-   ^"^  colonies. 


278  THE  GOSPEL    IN  LATIN   LANDS 

fill,  if  somewhat  uiiprogressive,  neigliboi's,  the 
Guianas,  three  colonies  on  the  northern  coast  of 
South  America,  which  belong  respectively  to 
Great  Britain,  Holland,  and  France.  These 
colonies  are  liandicapped  by  a  bad  climate,  and 
have  not  the  varied  resources  of  other  South 
American  countries,  but  they  have  enjoyed  so 
many  years  of  peace,  while  their  neighbors 
have  been  fighting  Spain,  or  one  another,  that 
they  are  comparatively  prosperous  from  a  com- 
mercial standpoint. 
The  Guiana  was  one  of  the  first  parts  of  the  New 

supposed        World  to  be  seen  by  a  w^iite  man,  Columbus 

El  Dorado.  "^  ' 

having  sighted  the  coast  seven  years  after  his 
first  voyage.  But  he  did  not  land,  and  it  was 
left  for  Sir  Walter  Raleigh,  a  century  later, 
to  attempt  to  penetrate  the  interior,  where  he 
thought  the  New  El  Dorado  lay.  He  did  not 
find  it,  it  is  needless  to  say,  but  discovered 
much  malaria  and  other  diseases,  and  was  soon 
discouraged  in  his  quest. 

A  few  years  previous  to  this  the  Dutch  had 
established  a  feeble  colony  in  what  is  now 
British  Guiana,  while  the  British  first  settled 
Dutch  Guiana.  In  those  early  days  the  people 
of  this  coast  had  many  masters.  The  Dutch 
were  driven  out  by  the  Spaniards,  and  the 
Spaniards  in  their  turn  by  the  British,  who  for 
more  than  a  hundred  years  have  been  in  posses- 
sion of  the  largest  and  best  of  the  Guianas, 
which    has    a    population    of    three    hundred 


THE  GOSPEL    7.V   SOUTH  AMERICA        279 

thousand.  The  most  interesting  item  to  North  What  the 
Americans  in  the  history  of  Dutch  Guiana  is  "'^^  '"^*" 
the  fact  that,  though  first  occupied  by  the 
British,  it  was  given  in  1667  to  the  Dutch,  by 
the  Peace  of  Breda,  in  exchange  for  the  New 
NetherL'inds,  otherwise  New  York.  It  can 
hardly  be  said,  in  the  light  of  subsequent 
events,  that  this  was  a  fair  exchange  which  is 
no  robbery. 

"  The  New  Netherlands  now  has  a  population  of  nearly 
ei^'ht  millions;  Dutch  Guiana  has  less  than  a  hundred 
thousand  people.  The  New  Netherlands  contains  tlie 
second  city  of  the  world ;  Paramaribo,  the  capital  of 
Dutch  Guiana,  has  hardly  as  many  thousands  as  New 
York  has  millions.  New  Netherlands  lias  become  tlie 
Empire  State  of  the  world;  the  territory  for  which  it 
was  exchanged  has  hardly  shared  to  any  extent  the 
prosperity  of  modern  nations."  ^ 

French  Guiana  is  frequently  called  Cayenne,  French 
from  the  name  of  its  capital,  and  the  name  ^^"^ua. 
suggests  the  climate,  which  is  so  unendurably 
hot  that  scarcely  any  one  but  Indians  or  negroes 
can  live  there.  France  was  obliged  to  send 
even  her  criminals  elsewhere,  so  few  could 
survive  their  transportation.  The  cultivation 
of  the  sugar-cane  is  the  chief  industry  of  the 
Guianas,  and  no  part  of  the  world  is  better 
suited  to  this  purpose,  so  that  they  will  never 
entirely  lose  their  importance  in  the  com- 
mercial world. 

1  From  "  The  Continent  of  Opportunity." 


280  THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 

The  brave  When  we  turn  to  the  religious  history  and 

condition  of  the  Guianas,  we  find  no  part  of 
South  America  so  thoroughly  evangelized. 
The  brave  Moravians,  who  always  seek  the 
hardest  and  most  discouraging  fields,  naturally 
had  their  attention  turned  thitherward,  and 
more  than  forty  years  before  Carey  sailed  for 
India,  their  missionaries  established  themselves 
on  the  coasts  of  what  is  now  French  and  Dutch 
Guiana.  So  wise,  persistent,  and  untiring  have 
been  the  labors  of  those  pioneers  and  their  suc- 
cessors that  Dutch  Guiana  may  be  said  to 
be  thoroughly  Christianized.  Of  the  seventy 
thousand  inhabitants,  nearl}^  one-half  belong  to 
the  Moravian  Church.  Ten  thousand  belong 
to  the  Reformed  Lutheran,  and  twelve  thou- 
sand are  Catholics.  Missions  are  also  conducted 
among  the  Hindoos  and  Mohammedans  who 
have  found  their  way  from  India  to  work  on 
the  sugar  plantations. 

High  in  the  roll  of  missionary  heroes  should 
be  inscribed  the  name  of  Theophilus  Schumann, 
a  Moravian  missionary  who,  in  the  early  half 
of  the  eighteenth  century,  joined  the  mission, 
and  became  known  as  the  Apostle  of  the 
Arawacs.  He  was  a  man  of  learning  as  well 
as  consecration,  and  had  been  a  professor  in 
A  wonderful  the  Moravian  seminary  at  Marienborn.  So 
linguist.  great  was  his  linguistic  power  that  in  six 
months  he  could  preach  fluently  in  the  Indian 
tongue.      He    translated    the    Scriptures,    and 


THE  GOSPEL   IN   SOUTH  AMEBIC  A        281 

hymns,  and  wrote  a  grammar  of  the  Arawac 
language.  In  a  few  years  hundreds  of  Indians 
were  converted,  and  the  redemption  of  Guiana 
had  begun.  He  died  in  a  few  years,  being 
given  little  more  than  a  single  decade  in  which 
to  do  his  great  work  and  impress  his  name 
indelibly  upon  the  land. 

A  well-authenticated  story  relates  to  another  Dahne 
of   these   pioneer   missionaries   named   Dahne.         *  ® 

i  serpeut. 

While  far  away  from  the  coast,  laboring  for 
the  savages,  a  great  snake  twined  around  his 
body  and  bit  him  so  severely  that  he  gave  up 
all  hope  of  life.  Fearing  that  the  Indians 
might  be  charged  with  his  death,  he  wrote  with 
chalk  on  the  wall,  "A  snake  has  killed  me"; 
but  just  then  the  promise  of  Mark  16  :  18  came 
into  his  mind.  With  all  his  might  he  tore  the 
serpent  from  his  limbs  and  threw  it  away,  and 
no  evil  effect  was  experienced.  Such  mar- 
vellous instances  of  God's  protecting  care 
abound  in  the  early  history  of  the  mission, 
and  did  space  allow,  the  stories  of  scores  of 
missionary  heroes,  men  as  brave  as  the  world 
has  ever  seen,  might  be  told. 

The  Moravians  have  a  hospital  for  lepers  at 
Groot  Chattillon,  and  it  is  an  interesting  fact 
to  record  that  "  Abraham  Lincoln  "  is  one  of 
the  most  successful  evangelists  in  Paramaribo. 
He  is  a  converted  coolie  who  is  carrying  the 
Gospel  to  his  fellow-Asiatics. 

British  Guiana  is  also,  comparatively  speak- 


282 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  LATIN  LANDS 


Evangelism 
in  British 
Guiana. 


Character 
of  the 
natives. 


ing,  thoroughly  evangelized.  Work  is  here 
carried  on  by  the  Moravians,  the  National 
Baptist  Convention,  the  Society  for  the  Propa- 
gation of  the  Gospel,  the  Wesleyans,  and  the 
Plymouth  Brethren.  These  vigorous  organiza- 
tions surely  should  be  able  to  care  for  the  three 
hundred  thousand  inhabitants  of  this  colony. 
We  find  that  nearly  half  of  the  people  are 
adherents  of  the  Church  of  England,  which 
numbers  twenty  thousand  communicants ;  the 
Moravian  i\Iission  numbers  over  eight  thousand 
converts,  and  the  Wesleyans  over  four  thousand. 
But  even  in  these  lands,  so  favored  from  the 
missionary  standpoint,  there  are  difficulties  and 
drawbacks,  as  everywhere  else.  The  majority 
of  the  people  belong  to  the  negro  race,  though 
many  of  them  have  Indian  blood  in  their  veins. 
They  have  the  virtues  and  the  vices  of  the 
negroes  in  other  lands  ;  religious  by  nature, 
gentle  and  impressionable,  yet  sexual  vices  pre- 
vail, and  the  sturdy  independence  of  character 
which  impels  one  to  work  for  a  living,  and 
which  considers  manual  work  honorable,  is 
often  lacking.  However,  take  it  all  in  all,  and 
considering  that  less  than  eighty  years  ago 
most  of  the  inhabitants  were  slaves,  Avonderful 
progress  in  civilization  and  Christianity  has 
been  made. 


THE   GOSPEL    IN   SOUTH   AMERICA        283 

Brazil 

When  we  come  to  the  great  empire  republic  a  great 
of  Brazil,  the  task  of  condensing  even  a  most  ^'^^^  "^' 
meagre  account  of  its  history,  its  resources,  and 
its  religious  life  into  the  allotted  space  is  no 
slight  one.  Here  is  a  country  that  occupies 
one-half  of  the  territory  of  South  America,  and 
that  contains  half  of  its  inhabitants  ;   a  country  i 

with  a  different  genesis,  a  different  history,  and 
a  different  language  from  all  the  other  South 
American  states.  South  America,  indeed, 
might  as  well  be  called  Portuguese  America  as 
Spanish  America,  since  more  than  half  of  its 
people  speak  the  Portuguese  language. 

Here  is  a  country  larger  than  Australia,  and  The  new- 
larger  than  the  United  States  outside  of  Alaska,  ^^'^^i*- 
with  resources  as  varied  and  rich  as  the  country 
is  vast  in  extent.  Moreover,  as  there  is  a  "  New 
Japan"  and  a  "New  China"  and  a  "New 
Turkey,"  so  there  is  a  "  New  Brazil,"  for  this 
is  one  of  the  nations  of  the  world  which  Avithin 
the  last  decade  has  made  tremendous  strides, 
and  is  rapidly  taking  its  place  in  the  forefront  of 
the  great  nations  of  the  world.  Indeed,  Rio  de 
Janeiro  surpasses  most  capitals  in  architectural 
magnificence,  as  it  certainly  does  all  of  them  in 
beauty  of  situation. 

Religiously  and  educationally,  too,  Brazil  is 
waking  up,  and  though  slie  is  still  to  a  large 
extent  under  the  dominion  of  the  priests,  and 


284 


THE  GOSPEL   IN   LATIN  LANDS 


though  more  than  eighty  per  cent  of  the  people 
are  still  illiterate,  yet  the  worst  shackles  both 
of  Rome  and  of  popular  ignorance  have  been 
broken.  The  Bible  is  circulated  and  a  free 
Gospel  proclaimed  throughout  the  length  and 
breadth  of  this  vast  land,  and  the  schoolmaster 
is  abroad  from  the  Amazon  to  the  borders  of 
Uruguay. 

In  tlie  brief  period  of  Portugal's  transient 
grandeur  Brazil  was  discovered  by  Pedro  Al- 
varez Cabral,  who  was  ordered  by  his  captain, 
the  celebrated  Vasco  da  Gama,  to  "  sail  directly 
south  after  leaving  the  Cape  Verde  Islands  in 
fourteen  degrees  north,  as  long  as  the  wind  was 
favorable.  If  forced  to  change  your  course, 
keep  on  the  starboard  tack  until  you  reach  the 
latitude  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  thirty-four 
degrees  south,  then  bear  away  to  the  east." 
Cabral  attempted  to  follow  these  explicit  direc- 
tions, but  instead  of  rounding  the  Cape  of 
Good  Hope,  on  May  3,  1500,  he  sighted  the 
shores  of  Brazil,  where  it  bulges  out  into  the 
Atlantic,  "as  though  about  to  shake  hands 
with  Africa  on  the  opposite  hemisphere."  This 
date  is  now  celebrated  as  one  of  the  great  holi- 
days of  Brazil. 

Cabral  found  the  country  inhabited  by  peace- 
ful Indians,  most  of  whom,  however,  were  sav- 
ages of  the  rudest  type.  Cabral  and  his 
successors  failed  to  find  much  gold  or  silver, 
but  they  found  a  country  rich  in  every  agri- 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  SOUTH  AMERICA       285 

cultural  product  beyond  any  other  nation  in 
the  world,  though  it  was  long  before  these 
riches  were  fully  known.  Almost  every  variety 
of  climate,  and  almost  everything  that  grows  in 
the  soil  can  be  found  in  Brazil,  for  her  high 
table-lands  give  to  much  of  her  territory  the 
climate  of  the  temperate  zone,  even  in  the 
tropics.  Coffee,  sugar,  cotton,  rubber,  corn, 
wheat,  are  among  the  staple  products  which  the 
world  will  always  need,  and  which  Brazil  can 
produce  in  unlimited  quantities.  We  do  not 
wonder  that  Amerigo  Vespucci,  the  navigator 
who  gave  his  name  to  both  continents,  was  led 
to  exclaim  that  "if  Paradise  exists  on  this 
planet,  it  cannot  be  far  from  the  Brazilian 
coast"  ;  while  Agassiz  believed  that  "  the  future 
centre  of  the  civilization  of  the  world  would  be 
in  the  Amazon  Valley."  .In  the  production  of 
coffee  alone  Brazil  has  almost  a  monopoly  of 
one  of  the  world's  most  important  products,  for 
nowhere  else  can  it  be  cultivated  so  cheaply,  or 
of  such  a  delicious  quality. 

Next  to  South  Africa  Brazil  is  the  great-  Coffee  and 
est  diamond-producing  country  in  the  world. 
Here,  two  hundred  years  ago,  some  miners  at 
Tijuca  found  a  few  shining  pebbles  in  their 
pans.  Thinking  they  were  only  pretty  stones, 
they  used  them  for  counters  in  their  games  of 
cards,  until  a  wandering  friar  came  along  and 
declared  them  to  be  diamonds.  During  the  next 
forty  years  five  millions  of  carats  of  these  same 


diamonds. 


286 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 


shiiiincr  little  stones  were  sent  across  the  seas 
to  enrich  the  coffers  of  the  mother-country. 

Unlike  the  Spanisli  colonies  of  South  Amer- 
ica, Brazil  enjoyed  a  comparatively  peaceful  de- 
velopment, though  the  Portuguese  and  Dutch 
were  frequently  at  war  with  each  other.  The 
Hollanders  finally  gave  up  the  struggle  in  1655, 
and  surrendered  Pernambueo  with  four  prov- 
inces, three  cities,  and  nine  hundred  miles  of 
coast  to  the  Portuguese  crown. 

For  a  century  and  a  half  Brazilian  history 
was  comparatively  uneventful.  In  the  early 
years  of  the  nineteenth  century,  however,  when 
all  Europe  was  in  the  ferment  of  the  Napole- 
onic wars,  and  when  the  day  of  deliverance 
came  to  the  Spanish  colonies,  Brazil's  hour  of 
freedom  also  struck.  Napoleon  sent  Juneau  to 
capture  Lisbon,  and  just  as  the  French  marshal 
entered  the  city.  Prince  John  IV.,  the  cowardly 
regent  of  Portugal,  with  fifteen  thousand  of 
the  nobility  and  sixty  millions  of  treasure, 
sailed  out  of  the  harbor  under  convo}^  of  a 
British  fleet,  bound  for  Brazil,  the  greater 
Portugal  across  the  seas.  He  was  received 
with  great  enthusiasm  by  the  Brazilians,  but  he 
was  a  weak  and  pusillanimous  prince,  who 
fortunately  was  soon  succeeded  by  his  son,  Dom 
Pedro  I.,  who  even  before  his  succession,  swear- 
ing in  his  father's  name,  had  accepted,  in  1821, 
the  constitution  which  the  people  demanded, 
and  which  made  Brazil  an  independent  empire 
of  which  Dom  Pedro  was  the  first  emperor. 


THE   GOSPEL   IN   SOUTH  AMERICA        287 

Through  Ids  evil  life  and  his  unscrupulous  <'00fJ  reiffn 
ambition  he  soon  lost  his  hold  on  the  loyalty  of  p^ji^ro  n 
the  people,  who  then  called  his  son,  a  boy  of 
fifteen,  to  the  throne.  For  more  than  fifty 
years  Doiu  Pedro  II.  reigned  wisely  and  well, 
beloved  of  liis  own  people,  and  respected  by  all 
the  Avorld.  A  genial,  kindly,  democratic  mon- 
arch he  was,  under  whose  reign  the  Brazilians 
dwelt  in  peace,  and  steadily  developed  the  re- 
sources of  their  country.  In  1876  he  visited 
the  United  States,  and  was  greatly  impressed 
with  the  Centennial  Exposition,  which  is  said  to 
have  given  a  decided  impetus  to  the  industrial 
development  of  Brazil. 

During  all  these  years,  however,  Brazil  a  quiet  but 
was  ripening  for  a  republic,  and  though  the  "^^''^"g^''''"' 
emperor  was  beloved,  the  people  feared  the 
succession  of  his  daughter  who  was  largely 
under  the  influence  of  the  Romish  priests. 
They  concluded,  therefore,  that  the  time  had 
come  to  choose  their  own  rulers,  and  one  night 
in  November,  1889,  putting  the  emperor  and 
his  family  on  board  a  ship  of  war,  they  sent 
them  off  to  Lisbon,  and  proclaimed  the  new 
republic.  Rather  than  spill  a  drop  of  Brazilian 
blood,  the  good  emperor  acquiesced  in  his  ban- 
ishment. The  republic  has  had  one  or  two 
stormy  periods,  but  on  the  whole  has  gone  on 
from  strength  to  strength,  and  was  never  so 
stable  and  prosperous  as  to-day. 

The  religious  history  of  Brazil  is  interesting 


288 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  LATIN  LANDS 


Huguenots 
in  Brazil. 


Their 

betrayal. 


and  important  from  the  very  beginning.  In 
fact,  the  first  Protestant  mission  to  Brazil  was 
sent  out  soon  after  its  discovery,  for  Calvin  and 
the  clergy  of  Geneva,  under  the  lead  of  the 
great  Admiral  Coligny  of  France,  attempted  to 
found  an  asylum  for  persecuted  Huguenots  in 
the  new  Land  of  Promise  across  the  seas. 

Sir  Nicholas  Durand  de  Villagagnon,  a  bold 
adventurer,  was  the  leading  spirit  in  this  col- 
ony, which  was  located  on  an  island  in  the 
beautiful  harbor  of  Rio  de  Janeiro,  called  the 
Isle  of  Villagagnon  to  this  day.  Other  mis- 
sionaries and  persecuted  Huguenots  joined 
them,  but  soon  they  found  that  Villagagnon  was 
a  wolf  in  sheep's  clothing,  a  traitor  of  the  deep- 
est  dye.  This  Benedict  Arnold  of  Protestantism 
denounced  his  former  colleagues  as  heretics,  and 
had  three  of  the  most  influential  of  them  put 
to  death,  while  the  others  fled  to  the  mainland, 
and  some  escaped  to  France  in  some  vessels 
anchored  near  by.  One  or  two  of  the  Hugue- 
nots who  reached  the  shore  of  Brazil  sought  to 
carry  the  Gospel  to  the  Indians,  and  were  so 
successful  that  for  many  years  the  fruits  of 
their  labors  were  evident.  One  of  these  men, 
John  Boles,  preached  the  reformed  faith  with 
such  power  that  he  was  at  last  arrested  by  the 
Jesuits,  and  after  a  long  imprisonment  was 
executed  in  Rio  de  Janeiro.  Protestantism  was 
thus  extinguished  for  the  time  being  in  this 
part  of  the  world,  and  as  Dr.  Tucker  well  says. 


of  missions 
in  Brazil. 


THE  GOSPEL  IN   SOUTH  AMERICA       289 

"  The  failure  of  these  Protestants  with  their  open  Bible 
to  get  a  foothold  permanently  in  this  part  of  the  New 
World,  determined  the  religions  destiny  of  Brazil  for  at 
least  three  centuries.  If  they  had  succeeded,  instead  of 
the  very  sad  spectacle  of  the  intellectual,  social,  and  moral 
condition  of  the  country  to-day,  we  should  doubtless  be 
gazing  upon  the  marvellous  wealth  and  prosperity  of  a 
highly  cultm'ed,  godly,  and  upright  nation." 

Modern  Protestant  missions  in  Brazil  began  Beginning: 
in  1835,  when  a  minister  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Cliurch  went  to  South  America  to  see  if 
it  promised  to  be  a  fruitful  field  for  missionary 
effort.  In  the  following  year  a  missionary  of 
that  church  opened  work  in  Rio  de  Janeiro,  and 
continued  for  seven  years,  when  the  work  was 
suspended. 

But  the  light  of  Protestantism  was  not  ex-  Dr.  Kalley's 
tinguished,  and,  in  1855,  was  kindled  into  a  ^'^rk. 
brighter  flame  by  the  providential  arrival  of 
Dr.  Robert  R.  Kalley,  a  noted  name  in  the  Prot- 
estant history  of  Brazil.  He  was  a  Scotchman 
who  had  been  driven  out  of  the  island  of  Ma- 
deira because  of  his  Protestantism,  and  had 
made  his  home  in  Rio  de  Janeiro.  Here  he  es- 
tablished an  independent  and  self-supporting 
work,  and  soon  was  able  to  organize  a  Congre- 
gational church.  Other  churches  of  like  order 
were  established  in  other  parts  of  Brazil,  none 
of  which  have  had  foreign  support,  or  have 
been  identified  ecclesiastically  with  Congrega- 
tional churches  of  otlier  lands.  For  more  than 
twenty  years    Dr.    Kalley    labored   untiringly, 


290 


THE   GOSPEL    IN   LATIN  LANDS 


Presby- 
terians iu 
Brazil. 


when,  on  account  of  feeble  health,  he  returned 
to  Scotland.  Through  his  labors  there  a 
missionary  society  called  "  Help  for  Brazil  "  was 
organized,  which  sustains  in  different  parts  of 
Brazil  ten  or  twelve  missionaries. 

The  Northern  Presbyterians  entered  this  great 
field  in  1859,  and  their  work  has  been  nobly 
sustained,  and  has  spread  into  at  least  seven  of 
the  states  of  Brazil,  where  some  twenty-five 
missionaries,  married  and  single,  are  at  work. 
A  few  years  after  the  Northern  Presbyterians 
began  their  work,  the  Southern  Presbyterian 
Church  entered  the  province  of  Sao  Paulo,  and 
twenty  years  later  the  two  Presbyterian  bodies 
were  united  into  the  Synod  of  Brazil.  The 
greatest  strength  of  this  Church  is  in  the  state 
of  Sao  Paulo,  but  their  missionaries  are  at  work 
in  thirteen  states,  and  were  able  to  report  eighty 
churches  in  1900,  with  more  than  seven  thou- 
sands communicants,  and  their  numbers  have 
since  then  been  considerably  increased. 

Among  the  names  of  the  earliest  missionaries 
of  the  Presbyterian  Board,  Rev.  Ashbell  Green 
Symonton  is  held  in  deserved  remembrance, 
though  the  limit  of  his  missionary  activity  was 
only  seven  years.  He  deeply  impressed  him- 
self upon  the  people  of  Rio  de  Janeiro,  and  was 
a  pioneer,  not  only  in  preaching  the  Gospel  but 
in  printing  it  and  sending  it  broadcast  through 
the  Imprensa  Evangelica. 

No  small  part  of  tlie  work  of  the  Presbyte- 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  SOUTH  AMERICA       291 

rian  Mission  is  centred  in  the  system  of  Christian  Presby- 
schools  which  it  has  given  to  Brazil.  The  chief  g^^'g^jg 
of  these  is  Mackenzie  College  in  Sao  Paulo, 
which  occupies  somewhat  the  same  place  in 
Brazil  as  the  Christian  College  in  Beyrout,  and 
Robert  College  in  Constantinople.  It  is  now, 
however,  independent  of  the  mission  and  affili- 
ated with  the  University  of  New  York.  Many 
of  the  most  influential  men  of  Brazil  have  been 
educated  in  this  college,  and  its  course  of  in- 
struction is  of  a  very  high  grade.  Other  im- 
portant schools  of  this  board  are  located  in  Sao 
Paulo,  in  Botucatu  in  the  same  state,  and  in  the 
states  of  Parana,  Bahia,  and  Sergipe. 

After  the  interruption  of  their  earliest  work  Methodists 
in  Rio  de  Janeiro  the  Methodist  Episcopal  i°  Brazil. 
Church  opened  a  misson  in  the  state  of  Rio 
Grande  de  Sul,  which  they  afterwards  trans- 
ferred to  the  Southern  Methodist  Board,  which 
for  more  than  thirty  years  has  been  doing  an 
admirable  work  in  Brazil.  The  latest  statis- 
tics that  we  find  tell  of  twenty-eight  pastoral 
charges  and  missions,  and  twelve  church  build- 
ings with  nearly  three  thousand  communicants, 
but  these  figures  are  doubtless  considerably  un- 
der the  present  mark,  for  the  churches  are  con- 
stantly making  progress,  and  in  some  places 
are  growing  rapidly. 

A  most  interesting  central  mission  has  been 
opened  in  Rio  de  Janeiro,  which  promises  to  do 
for  the  capital  of  Brazil    the    same    important 


292 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN   LANDS 


Baptist 
missions. 


work  that  the  great  central  missions  are  accom- 
plishing in  London  and  other  British  cities. 

The  Methodists  have  three  boarding-schools 
for  girls,  the  one  in  Petropolis  having  a  beauti- 
ful building  in  an  admirable  situation  ;  they 
have  also  a  school  for  bo3'S  and  several  day- 
schools  for  both  sexes.  At  Juiz  de  Fora,  in  the 
state  of  Minas  Geraes,  they  have  a  theological 
seminary  where  young  men  are  fitted  for  the 
ministry.  The  women's  work  in  all  of  these 
boards  is  a  most  important  factor  in  the  evan- 
gelization of  Brazil.  Single  women  visit  from 
house  to  house,  and  instruction  in  the  girls'  schools 
and  in  the  day-schools  for  boys  and  girls  is 
largely  in  the  hands  of  devoted  women,  without 
whose  labors  mission  work  in  South  America 
would  be  stripped  of  no  small  j^art  of  its  effi- 
ciency. 

The  Baptists  gained  a  strong  foothold  in 
Brazil  in  1852,  their  chief  stations  being  in 
Bahia,  Sao  Paulo,  and  the  federal  capital. 
Their  work  has  extended  into  nearly  a  dozen 
of  the  states  of  the  union.  They  report  more 
than  two  thousand  church  members,  thirty-two 
organized  societies,  and  two  weekly  papers, 
besides  important  school  work,  the  schools  in 
Sao  Paulo  and  Bahia  being  particularly  suc- 
cessful. No  missionaries  are  more  devoted 
and  self-sacrificing,  and  no  converts  are  more 
steadfast  than  those  belonging  to  this  great 
Church.      There    are    indications   that   in   the 


THE  GOSPEL  IJST  SOUTH  AMEBIC  A       293 

near  future  larger  advances  in  the  work  of 
this  mission  will  be  made  in  several  of  the 
states  of  the  republic. 

Some  years  after  the  arrival  of  the  Baptists  Protestant 
the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  began  its  ^q^^?^'''^ 
work  in  southern  Brazil  in  the  state  of  Rio 
Grande  de  Sul,  and  recent  reports  show  that 
they  now  have  six  church  edifices  in  this 
state,  with  over  a  thousand  communicants, 
and  fifteen  hundred  children  in  the  Sunday- 
schools. 

"  In  Brazil,"  says  one  of  their  missionaries,  "  the  great 
majority  of  the  people  are  not  heathen  ;  they  are  Chris- 
tian orphans  ;  they  come  together  regularly  to  attend 
the  services  of  the  church ;  they  are  in  great  numbers 
anti- Roman  in  tlieir  ideas.  Thus  the  church  grows,  not 
through  children,  but  through  the  confirmation  of  men 
and  women  of  matm-e  years." 

The  orders  given  to  the  men  of  this  mission 
when  sent  to  open  a  new  centre  of  work  are 
well  worth  quoting: 

"  Give  yourself  entirely  to  preaching  and  expounding   A 
the  Word  of  God.     Let  the  community  know  you  once    missionary's 
for  all  as  a  preacher,  a  prophet,  and  official  witness  for         ^  ^" 
Christ,  an  accredited  messenger  of  Christ's  Church  ;  you 
are  to  do  this  one  thing,  to  proclaim  the  good  news  of 
salvation  through  Christ,  and  to  invite  men  to  use  and 
enjoy   the   reasonable   and  reverent   faith  of  our  truly 
Catholic  Church." 

The  Bible  Societies,  both  British  and  Ameri-  Bible 
can,  have  been  most  important  factors  in  the  ^^^^t'^.^ 

_  ^  in  Brazil. 

evangelization   of   Brazil,  and   fully   a  million 


294  THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 

copies  of  the  Scriptures  have  been  put  into 
circuhition  during  the  last  half  century.  Rev. 
H.  C.  Tucker,  the  agent  of  the  American  Bible 
Society,  has  done  an  invaluable  work,  not 
only  in  the  circulation  of  the  Scriptures,  but 
in  aiding  and  abetting  the  work  of  the  mission- 
aries in  many  parts  of  Brazil,  and  his  volume, 
"  The  Bible  in  Brazil,"  is  a  fascinating  story 
of  the  entrance  into  that  country  of  the  Word 
which  giveth  light. 

The  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  is 
doing  an  admirable  service  in  Rio  de  Janeiro 
for  Portuguese  young  men,  and  now  has  a 
commodious  building  presided  over  by  Mr. 
Myron  A.  Clark,  whose  work  as  a  translator 
of  English  into  forceful  Portuguese  is  known 
throughout  Brazil. 
Self-  One   hopeful  feature  of  Protestant  work  in 

supporting     Bri^zii   ig   the  development   of   self-supportinsr 

independent  _  ■■•  . 

churches.  churches,  especially  of  the  Presbyterian  and 
Methodist  order,  a  number  of  which  are  already 
established  in  the  leading  Protestant  centres. 

The  Christian  Endeavor  Society  is  a  strong 
feature  of  Christian  work  in  Brazil,  nearly  a 
hundred  societies  being  found  in  the  republic. 
The  National  Union  of  societies  of  various 
state  and  local  unions  is  well  organized.  Rio 
de  Janeiro  is  also  the  seat  of  the  South  Ameri- 
can Christian  Endeavor  Union,  and  conven- 
tions of  great  power  have  recently  been  held 
in  that  city. 


THE  GOSPEL   IN   SOUTH  AMERICA        295 

Of  all  the  states  of  Brazil,  Sao  Paulo  has  the  The 

largest  number  of  missionaries,  while  some   of   ""''^s'"°aTy 
c>  '  forces. 

the  states  have  no  missionary  residing  witliin  their 
bounds.  All  together,  there  are  something  over 
fifty  missionaries  and  their  wives,  and  nearly  as 
many  unmarried  men  and  women,  with  nearly 
two  hundred  Brazilian  ordained  preachers  ac- 
tively engaged  in  missionary  work  in  this  great 
republic.  But  when  we  consider  the  vast  ex- 
tent of  territory,  the  millions  yet  unreached, 
the  aboriginal  tribes  for  whom  as  yet  there  have 
been  few  men  and  little  money  from  Protestant 
sources,  we  may  well  ask,  even  when  we  con- 
sider the  grand  total  of  missionaries  and  the 
splendid  work  they  have  already  accomplished, 
"  What  are  these  among  so  many  ?  " 

Uruguay 

From  Brazil  the  great  to  Uruguay  the  little  Uruguay's 
is  but  a  step  across  the  borders  of  the  most  ^^storv^ 
southern  state  of  Brazil,  but,  on  April  19,  1825, 
a  band  of  adventurers,  now  known  as  the  fa- 
mous "  Thirty-three,"  landed  on  the  shores  of  a 
river  in  southwestern  Uruguay,  rallied  the  peo- 
ple to  their  support,  secured  Argentina  as  an 
ally,  and,  after  years  of  struggle,  obtained  rec- 
ognition for  their  country  as  an  independent 
republic  in  1828.  Since  then,  civil  war  has 
followed  civil  war  with  monotonous  regularity, 
a  revolution  taking  place,  on  an  average,  about 


296  THE  GOSPEL  IN  LATIN  LANDS 

once  in  two  years.  Of  late,  however,  there  are 
signs  of  greater  stability,  and  the  enormous  re- 
sources of  the  country,  small  as  it  is  compared 
with  the  greater  republics  of  South  America, 
insuf-e  a  prosperous  future.  Though  we  have 
spoken  of  Uruguay  as  a  small  country,  it  is  as 
large  as  England  and  is  practically  one  vast 
pasture,  which,  if  fully  utilized,  might  almost 
feed  the  cattle  of  the  world. 
How  Ferdinand  Magellan  was  the  first  navigator 

wa"  named  ^°  ^^^^  along  this  coast  on  his  great  voyage  when 
he  circumnavigated  the  world.  After  sailing 
for  days  past  a  flat  and  monotonous  coast,  he 
cried  out,  "  Monte  video  !  "  (I  see  a  mountain), 
as  he  spied  the  hill  of  Cerrito,  at  the  mouth 
of  the  River  de  la  Plata.  It  is  not  indeed  a 
mighty  mountain,  but  Magellan's  exclamation 
gave  the  name  to  the  city  which  soon  grew  up 
at  its  base,  and  which  has  played  no  small  part 
in  South  American  history.  This  city  has  been 
the  bone  of  contention  between  Brazil  and  Ar- 
gentina, as  well  as  between  England  and  Spain. 
For  a  very  brief  period,  at  the  beginning  of 
the  nineteenth  century,  England  was  master  of 
Montevideo  and  Buenos  Ayres  as  well.  If  she 
had  maintained  her  domination,  who  can  tell 
how  the  future  history  of  South  America  might 
have  been  changed  under  the  fostering  care  of 
a  great  Protestant  empire  ? 

In   still    earlier   days    Spain    and    Portugal 
fought  for  Uruguay.     Pope  Alexander  VI.  had 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  SOUTH  AMERICA       297 

given  to  Portugal  all  regions  discovered  and 
colonized  east  of  a  certain  meridian,  which  would 
have  made  Uruguay  a  Portuguese  possession. 
The  people,  liowever,  were  always  a  Spanish- 
speaking  people,  and  Spain  finally  won,  thus 
making  the  country  one  of  the  Spanish  states 
of  South  America. 

The  most  important  missionary  work  done  Missions  in 
in  Uruguay  is  that  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Montevideo. 
Church,  Avhich  has  a  fine  large  church  edifice  of 
almost  cathedral  dimensions,  in  the  very  heart 
of  the  city  of  Montevideo,  and  where  there  is 
said  to  be  a  weekly  attendance  of  eight  hundred 
peojjle.  There  is  also  a  fine  boys'  high  school, 
whose  pupils  come  from  the  best  families  of 
Montevideo.  The  girls'  college  has  an  attend- 
ance of  over  a  hundred  and  fifty  pupils,  and  is 
housed  in  a  commodious  building.  Few  schools 
in  South  America  are  more  deservedly  influen- 
tial than  this. 

The  Church  of  England  ministers  to  the 
English-speaking  residents  of  Montevideo  and 
one  or  two  other  centres  in  the  republic,  while 
the  Waldensian  Church  maintains  six  churches 
among  the  Italian  immigrants  to  Uruguay. 

The  Salvation  Army  is  also  at  work  here,  and 
among  the  German  and  Swiss  colonies  are  found 
churches  of  the  Reformed  and  Lutheran  faiths. 


298 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 


Au  isolated 
republic. 


"El 
Supremo. 


An  awful 
war. 


Paraguay 

Paraguay  is  the  most  remote  from  the  coast, 
the  most  isolated,  and  perhaps  the  most  back- 
ward of  all  the  South  American  republics, 
though  one  or  two  others  might  compete  for 
this  unhappy  distinction.  Yet  the  very  first 
permanent  Spanish  settlement  in  eastern  South 
America  was  in  Asuncion,  its  capital,  a  thousand 
miles  from  the  mouth  of  the  La  Plata  River. 
After  it  achieved  its  independence  at  the  time 
of  the  breaking  away  of  the  other  colonies  from 
Spain,  Paraguay  was  governed  by  a  succession 
of  dictators  of  the  most  absolute  type. 

The  story  of  Dr.  Francia,  who  for  thirty 
years  was  the  absolute  monarch  of  Paraguay, 
though  he  was  called  president,  is  a  fascinating 
one.  No  Russian  Czar  was  ever  more  auto- 
cratic and  absolute  in  his  rule.  Without  trial 
or  any  process  of  law,  he  imprisoned  or  hung  his 
subjects,  forbade  all  foreign  intercourse  what- 
ever. In  his  life  he  assumed  the  title  "  El 
Supremo,"  which  was  a  contraction  of  his  full 
title,  "Supreme  and  Perpetual  Dictator."  A 
white  Paraguayan,  it  is  said,  dared  not  utter 
his  name,  and  after  his  death,  for  generations 
he  was  referred  to  simply  as  "  El  Defunto  " 
(The  Dead  One). 

He  was  succeeded,  though  not  immediately, 
by  a  still  more  odious  tyrant,  who  plunged  his 
country  into  an  awful  war  with  Brazil,  Argen- 


THE  GOSPEL    IN  SOUTH  AMERICA        299 

tina,  and  Uruguay.  In  five  years  seven-eighths 
of  the  people  perished ;  only  twenty-five  thou- 
sand men  were  left  in  all  Paraguay;  the  hundred 
and  twenty-five  thousand  women  who  still  re- 
mained alive,  though  nearly  as  many  more  had 
died  of  hardship  and  hunger,  had  to  do  the 
work  of  men  and  women  alike,  in  the  field  and 
shop  and  the  home.  But  so  rich  is  the  country 
in  natural  resources,  so  spontaneously  grow  the 
oranges,  bananas,  and  other  fruits  of  the  ground, 
so  rich  is  the  pasturage  for  the  cattle,  that  even 
this  terrible  war  could  not  entirely  destroy  the 
nation,  and  for  the  last  forty  years  Paraguay 
has  been  gradually  recuperating  her  resources 
and  growing  a  new  crop  of  men  and  women. 
Weekly  communication  is  kept  up  with  Buenos 
Ayres  by  a  regular  line  of  steamers,  and  the 
nation,  so  long  closed  to  outside  influences,  is 
no  longer  one  of  the  hermit  lands. 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  began  its  Methodists 
mission  in  Asuncion  some  twenty-five  years  i°Pa''^s"^y- 
ago.  Here  they  have  an  organized  church,  and 
associated  stations  in  five  or  six  interior  villages. 
They  have  also  schools  for  boys  and  girls,  with 
some  three  hundred  pupils  in  attendance. 
This  is  the  only  organized  missionary  agency 
for  the  Spanish-speaking  people  in  this  republic. 

The    South     American    Missionary    Society,  An  answer 
however,  some  years  ago  established  a  fruitful  ^°  ^^'®° 

•      •  j_i        /-ii  T     T  <•  T-.  Gardiner's 

mission  among  the  Chaco  Indians  ot  Paraguay,  prayers, 
under   the   leadership  of   Mr.    W.    E.    Grubb. 


300  THE  GOSPEL  IN  LATIN  LANDS 

This  work  was  carried  on  amid  difficulties 
almost  unspeakable,  and  great  results  have 
already  been  achieved.  No  longer  do  the 
Indians  bury  live  children  with  their  dead 
parents,  or  sell  their  captured  enemies  into 
slavery.  This  mission  has  two  stations,  the 
principal  one  at  a  place  with  the  jaw-breaking 
name  of  Waikthlatingmangyalwa.  We  may 
well  believe  that  this  mission  answers  the  as- 
pirations and  prayers  of  the  founder  of  the 
society,  Captain  Allen  Gardiner,  who,  nearly 
forty  years  before  the  mission  was  founded, 
wrote  a  tender  address  full  of  Christian  love 
and  kindly  exhortation  to  the  Chacos,  as  he  lay 
dying  at  Banner  Cove. 

Argentina 

In  our  story  of  missions  in  South  America, 
there  remains  but  one  republic  to  be  considered, 
and  that  one  of  the  largest,  and  in  some  re- 
spects the  most  prosperous  of  them  all,  the 
republic  of  Argentina.  East  of  Chile,  it  oc- 
cupies all  the  lower  end  of  South  America,  an 
extent  of  territory  nearly  half  as  large  as  con- 
tinental United  States.  The  smallest  natural 
geographical  division  of  the  country  lies  be- 
tween the  Uruguay  and  Parana  rivers.  It  is 
entirely  covered  with  rich  grasses,  and  is  called 
the  Mesopotamia,  but  even  this  is  larger  than 
all  England  and  more  uniformly  fertile.     There 


capital. 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  SOUTH  AMERICA       301 

are  three  hundred  fifty  thousand  square  miles  TheMesopo- 
of  pampas  suitable  for  grain-growing,  and  twice  ^''^"^^^^ 
that  area  in  Patagonia  and  the  Andean  prov- 
inces, which  may  sustain  unlimited  flocks  and 
herds. 

Though  Argentina  is  an  agricultural  country  A  great 
preeminently,  yet  Buenos  Ayres,  its  capital,  is 
the  largest  city  in  South  America,  a  city  which 
ranks  among  the  first-class  commercial  capi- 
tals of  the  civilized  world,  being  surpassed  in 
size  only  by  London,  New  York,  Berlin,  Chi- 
cago, Paris,  St.  Petersburg,  and  Philadelphia. 
In  fact,  Buenos  Ayres  can  claim  superlatives 
in  several  directions,  being  not  only  the  larg- 
est city  in  South  America,  the  largest  but 
three  in  all  America,  the  second  largest  Roman 
Catholic  city  in  all  the  world,  the  largest  Span- 
ish-speaking city  in  all  the  world,  and  the  larg- 
est city  but  one  of  the  Latin  races. 

But  its  mere  bigness  does  not  constitute  its 
chief  claim  to  distinction.  Few  cities  surpass 
it  in  the  amount  of  business  transacted,  in  the 
magnificence  of  its  commercial  blocks  and  many 
of  its  private  buildings,  or  in  the  general  air  of 
prosperity  which  pervades  this  great  capital. 
The  capital,  however,  is  fed  at  the  expense  of 
the  country  districts  of  Argentina,  for  it  gath- 
ers within  its  borders  far  more  than  its  due 
proportion  of  the  wealth,  culture,  and  luxury  of 
the  country. 

A  truer  idea  of  the  resources  of  the  republic 


302 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  LATIN  LANDS 


From  the 
Audes  to  the 
Atlantic. 


The 

Cinderella 
of  South 
America. 


may  be  gathered  by  a  journey  from  the  Ancles 
to  the  Athmtic.  All  day  and  all  night  one 
travels  on  a  fast  train  from  iNIendoza  to  Buenos 
Ayres,  over  an  almost  absolutely  flat  plain,  ex- 
cept for  one  low  range  of  mountains  near  the 
western  side.  For  a  hundred  and  seventy-live 
miles  the  railway  runs  without  a  turn  or  twist 
in  the  track,  and  then  only  one  curve  for  an- 
other hundred  miles,  and  all  this  journey  is 
across  a  wheat  field,  either  already  cultivated 
or  waiting  for  the  plough.  And  what  one  sees 
here  is  only  a  fraction  of  the  two  hundred  and 
forty  millions  of  acres  of  Argentina  wheat  lands, 
which,  together  with  her  pastures,  constitute 
the  wealth  of  the  republic. 

For  many  years  in  its  early  history  Argen- 
tina was  the  Cinderella  of  the  South  American 
states,  and  because  of  its  lack  of  silver  and  gold 
was  despised  and  neglected  by  the  mother-coun- 
tr3\  In  spite  of  the  Spanish  authorities,  how- 
ever, Buenos  Ayres  persisted  in  growing  up, 
though  for  long  decades  it  was  chiefly  the  home 
of  smugglers  and  lawbreakers.  For  a  few 
days  in  1806  it  was  occupied  by  British  troops, 
but  they  were  soon  forced  to  surrender  to  an 
overwhelming  force.  Together  with  the  other 
republics,  she  gained  her  freedom  in  the  war 
which  began  in  1812,  largely  under  the  lead  of 
San  Martin,  a  quiet,  unassuming,  taciturn  hero, 
who  has  been  well  called  the  Ulysses  S.  Grant 
of  South  America.     Then  followed  a  half  cen- 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  SOUTH  AMERICA       303 

tury  of  civil  war,  which,  by  tlie  arbitrament  of 
tlie  sword,  firmly  established  the  federal  capital 
in  Buenos  Ayres,  and  settled  many  of  the  ques- 
tions in  dispute.  A  quarter  of  a  century  of 
marvellous  progress  has  followed ;  of  immense 
immigration  and  a  concentration  of  boundless 
wealth  in  a  few  hands,  so  that  Argentina  has 
become  the  "  boDm  country  "  of  South  America, 
growing  away  from  all  its  rivals  except  Brazil, 
in  wealth  and  population. 

In  the  earlier  years  of  the  republic,  in  fact  Protestant 
until  1867,  no  preaching  could  be  done  in  the  P^""^^'"®* 
Spanish  language,  for  the  dictators,  or  so-called 
presidents,  forbade  all  propagandism  in  the  pop- 
ular tongue,  so  that  the  only  Protestant  churches 
were  for  the  English,  German,  and  Swiss. 

The  Bible  Societies  were  the  first  pioneers  in 
Argentina  as  elsewhere,  and  about  the  year  1870 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  adopted  the 
city  of  Buenos  Ayres  as  a  mission  field.  It 
now  has  six  Spanish-speaking  congregations 
grouj)ed  around  the  central  church.  The  work  Methodist 
of  the  Methodist  Press  of  Buenos  Ayres  is  a  re-  ^°^ 
ligious  factor  of  great  importance  in  the  evange- 
lization of  Argentina.  Nor  must  the  American 
Church  for  English-speaking  people  be  for- 
gotten. Here  Dr.  ]\IcLaughlin  of  the  Metho- 
dist Church  has  ministered  for  many  years  to 
the  great  acceptance  of  the  foreign  residents  of 
Buenos  Ayres.  The  Women's  Foreign  Mission- 
ary Society  of  this  church  has  also  established  a 


missions. 


304  THE  GOSPEL  IN  LATIN  LANDS 

fine  girls'  boarding-  and  day-school  in  this  city. 
A  similar  institution  has  recently  been  housed 
in  a  fine  building  in  Rosario,  which  is  called  the 
"  Chicago  of  Argentina."  Here  the  Methodist 
Church  is  also  strongly  established,  as  well  as 
in  Parana,  the  capital  of  the  Argentine  Meso- 
potamia. Other  leading  centres  have  been 
occupied,  and  these  churches  ftre  a  power  for 
good  throughout  the  republic. 

The  Church  of  England  has  several  congre- 
gations in  Buenos  Ay  res  and  the  suburbs,  and 
in  one  or  two  of  the  larger  cities  of  Argentina 
besides. 
Various  The  Southern  Baptists  have  also  recently  es- 

tablished themselves  in  the  capital,  and  have 
two  promising  centres  of  work  in  that  city,  with 
expectation  of  occupying  other  points  in  the 
republic.  The  Free  Church  of  Scotland  is  also 
represented,  and  has  a  beautiful  church  for 
British  residents.  The  Regions  Beyond  Mission 
has  begun  work  among  the  natives  of  Argentina, 
while  the  Plymouth  Brethren  and  the  Salvation 
Army  are  at  work  in  some  of  the  centres.  The 
Disciples  of  Christ  are  entering  the  fruitful  har- 
vestfield,and  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Associ- 
ation is  a  factor  of  great  promise  in  the  religious 
life  of  the  capital.  It  has  a  fine  and  commodious 
building,  equipped  with  funds  raised  both  in 
Argentina  and  the  United  States. 

The   indirect   influence   of   the   missionaries 
upon   the  school  system    of  Argentina   should 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  SOUTH  AMERICA        305 

not  be  overlooked.  Some  forty  years  ago 
General  Sanniento,  wlio  luul  been  the  Argentine 
minister  in  Washington,  was  elected  president  Argentina's 
of  the  republic.  Having  been  deeply  impressed  ^^^^^^ 
with  the  school  system  of  the  United  States,  he 
at  once  invited  Dr.  William  Goodfellow,  an 
American  missionary  returning  to  his  own 
country,  to  send  out  some  educated  women  to 
establish  normal  schools  in  Argentina.  This 
he  did,  and  from  that  day  the  public  schools  of 
that  country  have  been  largely  patterned  after 
those  of  the  United  States.  "  As  the  result  of 
good  work  done  by  these  teachers,"  says  Dr. 
Drees,  of  Buenos  Ay  res,  "  there  are  more  highly 
educated  }  jung  women  in  Argentina  than  in 
any  other  country  in  South  America."  Similar 
institutions  exist  for  young  men,  and  the  gov- 
ernment is  exceedingly  generous  in  the  encour- 
agement of  talent  in  every  useful  department  of 
study. 

No  account  of  missionary  work  in  South  story  of 
America  would  be  complete  without  briefly  re-  QaM^ner 
counting  the  story  of  Allen  Gardiner,  whose 
chief  field  of  operation  and  final  martyrdom 
were  in  the  southern  part  of  Argentina,  in 
Tierra  del  F'uego.  His  story  is  that  of  one  of 
the  most  devoted  missionaries  the  world  has 
ever  known.  A  captain  in  the  Royal  British 
Navy,  Gardiner  was  led  to  abandon  his  profes- 
sion and  give  his  rare  talents  and  energies  and 
his  whole  fortune  to  the  furtherance  of  the 
Gospel,  as  a  missionary  pioneer. 


306  TUE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 

To  the  eye  of  the  worldly  man  his  life  would 
have  seemed  one  continuous  succession  of  fail- 
ures. Opposed  by  the  authorities,  driven  out  by 
the  natives,  foiled  in  his  attempts  by  Catholic 
opposition,  buffeted  by  the  elements,  he  never- 
theless persevered.  He  apparently  failed  in 
South  Africa,  in  New  Guinea,  among  the  Arau- 
canian  Indians,  and  the  Falkland  Islands,  in 
Bolivia,  and  finally  in  Tierra  del  Fuego,  where 
he  died  a  martyr's  death,  a  martyrdom  which 
has  impressed  the  Christian  world  as  few  such 
events  have  ever  done. 
His  Afflicted  with  scurvy,  starving,  and  apparently 

triumphant  deserted  by  all  mankind  during  the  long  sum- 
mer  of  1851,  Allen  Gardiner  neve,  lost  faith 
or  hope,  as  the  journal  he  left  behind  him  proves. 
Through  a  fatal  blunder  he  and  his  companions 
were  left  to  slow  starvation.  Weeks  after  the 
fatal  event  a  search  party  landed  at  Earnest 
Cove,  Spaniard  Harbor,  and  found  the  bodies  of 
Captain  Gardiner  and  his  companions.  Near 
the  place  where  Gardiner  lay  he  had  written 
upon  the  rock  with  his  dying  hand,  "  My  soul, 
wait  thou  only  upon  God,  for  my  expectation 
is  from  Him." 

This  life  of  apparent  failure,  however,  re- 
sulted in  a  glorious  success,  and  the  great  work 
upon  which  Gardiner  had  set  his  heart,  and  for 
which  he  gave  his  life,  has  been  accomplished 
by  others.  Almost  every  country  which  he 
sought  to  evangelize  has  now  been  reached,  and 


THE  GOSPEL  IN  SOUTH  AMERICA        307 

in  them  all  the  work  is  flourishing.  Durban  is 
a  centre  of  Christian  work  for  the  Zulus,  for 
whom  he  prayed.  New  Guinea  and  the  other 
islands  have  been  evangelized  by  Dr.  Paton  and 
his  fellow-missionaries.  The  Araucanian  In- 
dians, and  the  Chaco  Indians  of  Paraguay,  are 
reached  by  the  missionary  society  which  he 
founded.  The  Falkland  Islands  are  the  seat 
of  a  diocese  of  the  English  Church.  Bolivia 
has  been  entered  by  more  than  one  Protestant 
denomination,  and  Tierra  del  Fuego,  where 
he  gave  up  his  life,  is  fruitful  missionary 
ground,  while  the  Allen  G-ardiner,  a  missionary 
schooner,  journeys  from  place  to  place,  carry- 
ing the  news  of  the  Gospel,  which  the  great 
man  whose  name  it  bears  loved  so  well. 

On  the  highest  mountain  pass  between  Ar-  The 
gentina  and  Chile,  at  a  height  of  nearly  twelve  ^jides"  ^  ^ 
thousand  feet  above  the  sea,  stands  a  wonderful 
statue,  considering  its  situation  and  environ- 
ment, perhaps  the  most  remarkable  in  all  the 
world.  It  is  an  heroic  statue  of  the  Christ,  and 
represents  Him  with  uplifted  Cross  and  finger 
pointing  to  the  skies.  All  round  are  gaunt, 
rugged  mountains  towering  thousands  of  feet 
farther  into  the  sky.  But  it  is  the  story  of  the 
statue  that  makes  it  interesting.  When  the 
republics  of  Argentina  and  Chile  were  about  to 
go  to  war,  when  armies  had  been  marshalled 
and  ironclads  built,  better  counsels  prevailed. 
Arbitration  between  the  two  countries  was  ac- 


308  THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 

cepted.  The  boundary  line,  which  had  been  in 
dispute,  was  settled  by  King  Edward  as  run- 
ning over  the  highest  crest  of  the  Andes.  As  a 
recognition  of  their  joy  in  these  better  counsels 
and  the  peaceful  settlement  of  a  dispute  which 
had  promised  a  bloody  war,  this  statue  was 
erected  by  the  two  republics,  witli  the  inscription 
on  its  base  from  Ephesians  2  :  14. 

"  He  is  our  peace  who  hath  made  both  one." 
This  statue  is  symbolic  of  the  mission  of  the 
Prince  of  Peace  in  all  the  world.  He  has  not 
only  made  peace  between  the  two  republics  of 
the  Andes,  but  His  Gospel  unites  the  true  Chris- 
tians of  every  land,  opens  the  hearts  of  those 
in  the  North  to  their  brethren  in  the  South,  es- 
tablishes churches,  opens  schools,  circulates  the 
Word  of  God,  and  promotes  the  fellowship  of 
the  nations.  His  title,  the  Prince  of  Peace, 
reveals  the  missionary  motive,  which  is  to  finish 
the  work  for  which  He  lived  and  died,  and  bring 
peace  on  earth  and  good-will  to  men. 

MISSIONARY  DIRECTORY 

Venezuela. 

Americau  Bible  Society.    Presbyterian  Church  (North). 
Christian  and  Missionary  Alliance.    Plymouth  Breth- 
ren.    South  American  Evangelical  Mission.     Chris- 
tian Missions  ("  Brethren  ").     Venezuela  Mission. 
British  Guiana. 

Moravian  Mission.  National  Baptist  Convention.  So- 
ciety for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel.  Wesleyan 
Methodist   Mission.     Plymouth   Brethren.     British 


THE  GOSPEL   IN  SOUTH  AMERICA        309 

Guiana  East  Indian  and  Chinese  Mission.  Christian 
Missions  (''Brethren").  Presbyterian  Church  (Ca- 
nadian). Guiana  Diocesan  Church  Society.  Salva- 
tion Army.     African  JNIethodist  Episcopal  Church. 

Dutch  Guiana. 
Moravian  Mission. 

Fkench  Guiana. 
Moravian  Mission. 

Brazil. 

Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Presbyterian  Church 
(North).  Presbyterian  Church  (South).  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  (South).  Southern  Baptist  Con- 
vention. American  Bible  Society.  British  and  For- 
eign Bible  Society.  "Help  for  Brazil"  Mission. 
Christian  and  Missionary  Alliance.  South  American 
Evangelical  IMission.  Board  of  Missions  of  the  Prot- 
estant Episcopal  Church. 

Uruguay. 
Methodist    Episcopal    Chiu'ch.     Church    of    England 
(English  services) .    AValdensian  Mission.    Salvation 
Army.     American  Seamen's  Friend  Society.     Chris- 
tian Mission  ("Brethren"). 

Paraguay. 

Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  South  American  Mis- 
sionary Society. 

Argentina. 

American  Bible  Society.  British  and  Foreign  Bible 
Society.  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Church  of 
England.  Southern  Baptist  Convention.  Free 
Church  of  Scotland.  Regions  Beyond  Mission. 
Plymouth  Brethren.  Salvation  Army.  American 
Seamen's  Friend  Society.  Christian  and  IMissionary 
Alliance.  Christian  Mission  ("  Brethren  ").  South 
American  Evangelical  Mission.  South  American 
Missionary  Society. 


310  THE  GOSPEL   IN  LATIN   LANDS 

TOPICS  FOR   FURTHER   STUDY 
For  Women's  Clubs  or  for  Individuals 
Pioneer  Missionaries  in  the  Guianas. 
Brazil  in  tlie  Nineteenth  Century. 
Villegagnon  and  the  Huguenots  in  Brazil. 
The  Republics  of  the  Rio  de  la  Plata  —  Argentina, 
Uruguay,  Paraguay. 

Allen  Gardiner's  Work  for  South  America. 

Travels  in  South  America. 

Current  Events  in  Eastern  South  America. 

Books  suggested  for  Neighborhood  Reading 
Circles 

"  A  Summer  Journey  to  Brazil."  A.  R.  Humphreys. 
1900. 

"Story  of  Commander  Allen  Gardiner."    J.  W.  ]\Iarsh. 

"  The  Bible  in  Brazil."     H.  C.  Tucker. 

"  The  South  American  Republics."  Thomas  C. 
Dawson. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

"  Brazil  and  the  Brazilians."     Fletcher  and  Kidder. 
"  The  Andes  and  the  Amazon."     C.  Reginald  Enoch. 
"  The  Highest  Andes."     A.  E.  Fitzgerald. 
"  Modern  Argentina,  the  El  Dorado  of  To-day."    W.  H. 
Koebel. 

"  Through  the  Heart  of  Patagonia."     H.  Pritchard. 
"  The  Continent  of  Opportunity."     F.  E.  Clark. 

ILLUSTRATIVE   SELECTIONS 

The  Pilgrim  Fathers  of  Rio 

Yet  South  America,  too,  was  touched  by  Puritan 
faith.  In  15.")5  three  small  vessels  sailed  into  the  Bay  of 
Rio.     They  were  under  the  connnand  of  Nicholas  Durand 


THE  GOSPEL   IN   SOUTH  AMERICA        311 

de  Villegagnon,  one  of  the  most  remarkable,  gifted,  and  iiii- 
scrupulous  men  of  the  sixteenth  century.  On  board  they 
carried  the  Pilgrim  Fathers  of  South  America,  a  group 
of  persecuted  French  Huguenots  sent  hither  by  the  good 
Christian,  Admiral  Coligny.  Upon  an  island,  now  over- 
looked by  the  capital  of  Brazil,  they  landed,  after  a  long 
and  perilous  voyage. 

"  It  was  upon  this  island,"  writes  a  traveller,  "  that 
they  erected  the  first  place  of  worship,  and  here  these 
French  Puritans  offered  their  prayers  and  sang  their 
hymns  of  praise  nearly  threescore  years  and  ten  before  a 
pilgrim  jjlaced  his  foot  on  Plymouth  Rock,  and  more 
than  half  a  century  before  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer 
was  borne  to  the  banks  of  the  James  River." 

From  this  island,  and  fi-om  the  pen  of  the  crafty 
Villegagnon,  came  the  first  appeal  for  Protestant  mis- 
sions in  South  America. — From  ^^  South  America:  the 
Neglected  Continent" 


EDUCATION  IN   SOUTH   AMERICA 

Every  South  American  country  that  I  have  visited 
has  its  university  under  the  jiatronage  of  the  state,  but  it 
does  not  often  seem  to  play  a  large  part  in  the  life  of  the 
country,  or  to  give  its  students  a  very  profound  educa- 
tion. The  strong  points  of  the  university  are  the  classics 
and  literature,  their  weak  points  science  and  engineering 
and  allied  practical  subjects.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the 
thoroughly  educated  men  in  all  branches  of  professional 
life  expect  to  finish  their  education  in  Europe  or  the 
United  States.  .  .  . 

Every  large  city,  too,  has  its  library,  usually  not 
very  extensive  as  compared  with  the  great  modern  libra- 
ries of  North  America  and  Europe,  but  containing  very 
creditable  collections  of  Spanish  and  foreign  authors. 
The  National  Peruvian  Library  contains  fifty  thousand 


312  TUE   GOSPEL   IN  LATIN  LANDS 

volumes,  and  is  rich   in  the   records  of   early  Spanish 
times.  .  .  . 

In  Rio  de  Janeiro  is  a  famous  Portuguese  library, 
one  of  the  best  in  the  world,  beautiful  in  its  exterior, 
over  which  carved  statues  of  the  greatest  Portuguese 
stand  guard,  while  within,  the  works  of  all  the  impor- 
tant Portuguese  authors  fill  the  shelves.  Brazil  is  in- 
deed the  home  of  much  of  the  best  Portuguese  literature 
of  the  day,  and  the  greatest  poets  who  have  written  in 
that  mellifluous  language  for  a  hundred  years  have  been 
and  are  Brazilian  citizens.  —  From  '■^  The  Continent  of 
Opportunity." 


GENERAL   INDEX 


Albigenses,  79,  80,  138. 
Argentina,  300-308. 
Arians,  25,  26,  136. 
Austria,  84,  159-167. 
Avignon,  115. 
Aztecs,  180,  181. 

Barcelona,  142,  143,  172. 
Belgium,  111. 
Bohemia,  161-166. 
Bolivar,  238,  239. 
Bolivia,  258-260,  268,  275. 
Bourbons,  132. 
Brazil,  168,  283-295. 
Buenos  Ay  res,  132,  301. 
Butler,  Rev.  William,  196. 

Cadiz,  127,  142. 

Calvin,  .John,  81,  82. 

Canal  Zone,  229,  246,248. 

Cavour,  13,  14. 

Central  America,  205-214. 

Charlemagne,  7,  8,  76. 

Charles  Albert,  14,  49. 

Chile,  260-267,  268. 

Christ,  Birth  of,  20. 

Christian    Endeavor,    60,    143, 

250,  267,  276,  294. 
Church  and  State  in  France, 

91-93,  96. 
Clark,  Rev.  A.  W.,  164,  167. 
Clovis,  74,  75. 

Colombia,  245,  250-252,  267. 
Columbus,   10,    223,    224,    250, 

278. 
Cortez,  180, 182,  188. 
Costa  Rica,  213. 
Councils,  Ecumenical,  18. 
Council  of  Constance,  162. 
Council  of  Elvira,  135,  136. 


Council  of  Nicaea,  25,  26. 
Council  of  Trent,  30,  130. 
Crusades,  29,  79. 
Cuba,  217,  218. 

Dark  Ages,  The,  26. 

Diaz,  Porfirio,  186,  187,  189. 

Ecuador,  244,  253,  254. 
Edict  of  Nantes,  83;  Revoca- 
tion of,  85. 
Egidius,  139, 140. 

Ferdinand    and    Isabella,   128, 

137,  138. 
Florence,  10. 
France,  71-122. 
French  Revolution,  87-91. 

Gardiner,  Allen,  266,  300,  305- 

307. 
Garibaldi,  13,  14. 
Gaul,  71-74. 
Genoa,  10, 11. 
Gibraltar,  132,  142. 
Goths,  5,  f),  127,  136,  137. 
Granada,  128,  137. 
Guadalajara,  188,  195. 
Guatemala,  210. 
Guiana,  277-282. 
Gulick,  Mrs.  Alice  Gordon,  148- 

159. 

Hayti,  216,  217. 
Hidalgo,  182,  183. 
Honduras,  210,  211. 
Hosius,  135. 

Huguenots,  82-85,  283,  310. 
Hungary,  160,  161,  164. 
Huss,  John,  161-163. 


313 


314 


INDEX 


Iconoclasts,  29. 

luqiiisition,  4;i-45,  130,  137-139, 

140,  168,  182. 
Italy,  1-G7,  81. 

Jamaica,  216. 
Jerome  of  Prague,  11)2. 
Jesuits,  141,  173,  174,  184. 
Juarez,  182,  184,  186. 

Lisbon,  169. 
Little  Italy,  51-53. 
Loyola,  173. 
Lyons,  40,  42. 

Madrid,  147, 154,  157. 

Marseilles,  71,  115. 

Massacre  of  St.  Bartholomew, 

82,  121. 
Maximilian,  185, 186. 
Mazzini,  13. 
Mexico,  180-205. 
Missionary  Directory,  220,  221, 

267,  268,  308,  309. 
Missions : 
American  Bible  Society,  191, 
209,  210,  213,  221,  252,  257, 
276,  293,  303. 
American  Board  of  Commis- 
sioners   for    Foreign    Mis- 
sions, 146-159, 163-167,  194- 
1%,  220. 
Baptist  Missions,  35,  57-59, 
108-114,   143,   144,    192-194, 
218,  220, 282,  292,  304 ;  Can- 
adian Baptist,  259. 
British    and    Foreign    Bible 

Society,  209,  257,  293,  303. 
Central  American  Missionary 

Society,  210,213,221. 
Christian,  203,  221. 
Christian     and     Missionary 

Alliance,  254,  276. 
Disciples  of  Christ,  219,  304. 
Friends,  205,  219,  221. 
Gospel  Union,  2.54. 
Help  for  Brazil,  290. 


Jamaica  Baptist  Missionary 

Society,  209,  211,  213,  221. 
McAll  Mission,  97-111. 
Methodist   Episcopal,   53-57, 

114-116,  19(i-199,   220,   247, 

254,  256,  259,  2()4,  289,  291, 

297,  299,  ;«)3. 
Moravian,  164,  212,  221,  280- 

282. 
Plymouth  Brethren,  144,  168, 

276,  282,  304. 
Presbyterian,    199-201,    209, 

210,  219,  220,  248,  251,  252, 

264,  276,  2iK),  291. 
Protestant    Episcopal,    201- 

203,  219,  220,  293. 
Regions  beyond  Mission,  257, 

304. 
Salvation  Army,  297,  304. 
Society  for  the  Propagation 

of  the  Gospel,  211,  221,  282. 
South   American  Missionary 

Society,  248,  266,  267. 
Waldeusian,  43-45, 50-53, 297. 
Wesleyan,   35,    60,  142,   211, 

213,  221,  282. 
Missions,  Reasons  for,  36-38. 
Monasteries,  33-35,  73. 
Morales,  Rev.  Arcadio,  199. 
Moravia,  161. 

Mosquito  Reservation,  212. 
Mystics,  Spanish,  141. 

Napoleon  Bonaparte,  12,88,  89, 

132,  184,  237,  238. 
Napoleon  III.,  14,  90,  185. 
Nicaragua,  211,212. 

Oporto,  169. 

Panama,  229,  245-250,  267. 
Panama  Canal,  229,  244. 
Papal  States,  8,  32. 
Paraguay,  298-300. 
Paris,  99. 

Persecution,  23,  72,  138, 139. 
Peru,  232-237,  254-258,  268. 


INDEX 


315 


Pius  IX.,  32. 

Pizarro,  235-2.37,  253,  255. 
Popes,  26,  3.5,  63,  64. 
Porto  Rico,  219. 
Portugal,  1G7-169. 
Prague,  162-166. 

Rankin,  Melinda,  191. 
Reformation,  The,  81,  130,  161. 
Religious  liberty,  109,  130,  148, 
161,  163,  183,  254,  256,  259. 
Roman  Empire,  3-7. 
Rome,  2,  3,  37,  53. 
Russia,  166. 

St.  Benedict,  34. 

St.  Bernard,  35. 

St.  Denis,  73. 

St.  Francis,  10. 

St.  Genevieve,  74. 

St.  Martin  of  Tours,  73,  74. 

Salvador,  212. 

San  Martin,  261. 

Santiago,  264. 


Saracens,  127,  128,  137. 
Sardinia,  14,  49. 
Savonarola,  66,  ()7. 
South  America,  227-312. 
Spain,  124-159. 
Switzerland,  111-113,  116. 

Travellers'  Guide  to  Missions, 
61,  117,  118,  169,  170. 

Uruguay,  295-297. 

Venezuela,  132,  238,  274-277. 
Venice,  9. 

Victor  Emanuel  II.,  14,  32,  94. 
Visigoths,  127,  143. 

Waldenses,  38-53. 
Waldo,  Peter,  39^2. 
West  ladies,  214-219. 
Westrupp,  Thomas,  191. 

Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation, 249,  294,  304. 


Of  Great  Value  to  Students  of  Missions 


By  frank  BYRON  JEVONS 

Principal  of  Bishop  Hatfield  Hall,  Durham,  England 

An   Introduction  to  the 
History  of  Religion 

Hartford- Lamson  Lectures  Third  Edition 

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The  book  is  primarily  intended  as  an  introduction  to  the  study 
of  comparative  religion,  preparing  the  way  for  the  succeeding 
courses  of  lectures  in  the  series  which  as  a  whole  will  cover  the 
subject  of  the  Religions  of  the  World. 

The  primary  aim  is  to  provide  an  introduction  to  the  study  of 
religion  for  the  convenience  of  those  expecting  to  enter  the  ministry 
and,  more  especially,  those  who  have  in  view  the  foreign  field. 

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